
Class 
Book. 



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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

AND 

THE PASSION OF CHRIST 



READINGS AT DIVINE SERVICE DURING THE 
FORTY DAYS OF LENT 

WITH 

SHORT MEDITATIONS FOR THE FAITHFUL 



BY 
C. J. EISENRING, Pastor 



RENDERED FROM THE GERMAN 
BY CHARLES CANNON, O.S.B. 



ST. LOUIS, MO., 1912 

Published by B. Herder 

17 South Broadway 

FREIBURG (BADEN) I LONDON, W. C. 

Germany ! 68, Great Russell Street 



3/i 



<5"5 



NIHIL OBSTAT. 
Franciscus Mershman, O. S. B. 

Censor Deputatus. 

I M PRIM A TUR. 

Timothy Corbett, 

Bishop of Crookston. 

NIHIL OBSTAT. 
Sti. Ludovici, die 21 Jan. ign 

F. G. HOLWECK. 

Censor Librorum. 

IMPRIMA TUR. 
Sti. Ludovici, die 23 Jan. igu 

O.J.S.HOOG, V. G. 



Copyright, igu, 
by 
Joseph Gummersbach. 



& 



-BECKTOLD- 

PRINTING AND BOOK MFG. CO. 






ST. LOUIS, MO. 



>CI.A30'.-0 40 



PREFACE 

In their Lenten pastorals, the Rt. Rev. Bishops 
remind the Rev. Pastors every year that the Holy 
Church wishes to have the Gospels for Lent ex- 
plained to the faithful as much as time and circum- 
stances permit. 

These Gospels are explained best by referring 
them to the Passion and Death of our Saviour, — 
which is the best subject-matter for meditation dur- 
ing Lent. As on week-days the time for this ex- 
ercise is greatly limited, it is necessary to reduce 
the explanation to a few words : and for a medi- 
tation a brief exposition is quite sufficient. 

By the publication of these explanations of the 
Lenten Gospels, which have been used for a long 
time at divine service for the edification of the faith- 
ful, the author believes that he is rendering a serv- 
ice to his fellow-priests, and that he is placing in 
the hands of the faithful a book that will arouse 
them to fruitful meditation on the bitter Passion 
and Death of Jesus Christ and thus prepare 



PREFACE 

them for the worthy fulfillment of their Easter 
duties. 

May God's Blessing accompany it ! 

The Author. 

Bruggen, on the feast of St. Gall, 1891. 

Rendered from the German 
by Charles Cannon, 0. S. B. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface viii 

En ego, O bone et dulcissime Jesu! 

i. Ash-Wednesday. — Fasting and Alms. Meditation on 

the Passion of Christ I 

2. Thursday after Ash-Wednesday. — The Centurion at 

Capharnaum. Jesus goes to Mt. Olivet .... 3 

3. Friday after Ash-Wednesday. — True Love of our 

Neighbor and Good Works. Love of Jesus for 
His Enemies on Mt. Olivet 6 

4. Saturday after Ash- Wednesday. — Jesus on the Sea. 

His Prayer in the Garden 9 

5. First Sunday of Lent. — Jesus is Tempted in the Des- 

ert. Agony on Mt. Olivet 11 

6. Monday after the First Sunday of Lent. — The Last 

Judgment and the Death-Sweat of Jesus at Mt. 
Olivet 14 

7. Tuesday after the First Sunday of Lent. — Money- 

changers and Merchants Driven out of the Tem- 
ple. Jesus is Betrayed by Judas 17 

8. Wednesday after the First Sunday of Lent. — The 

Judgment of Jesus upon the Pharisees, and His 
Mother and Brethren. The Seizure of Jesus . 19 

9. Thursday after the First Sunday of Lent. — The 

Prayer and the Faith of the Woman of Canaan. 
Jesus before the Judgment-seat of Men ... 22 
10. Friday after the First Sunday of Lent. — Curing of 
a Man Thirty-Eight Years sick. Jesus before 
Caiphas 25 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

11. Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent. — The 

Transfiguration of Jesus and the Denial by Peter 28 

12. Second Sunday of Lent. — The Transfiguration of 

Jesus and the Contrition of Peter 30 

13. Monday after the Second Sunday of Lent. — Divinity 

of Jesus. His Threat and the Obduracy of the 
Jews. Jesus in Prison 23 

14. Tuesday after the Second Sunday of Lent. — The 

Hypocrisy and Arrogance of the Pharisees, and 
the Despair of the Traitor 36 

15. Wednesday after the Second Sunday of Lent. — 

Jesus Prophesies His Bitter Passion. Ambition 

of two Disciples. Jesus before Pilate .... 38 

16. Thursday after the Second Sunday of Lent. — The 

Rich Man and Lazarus; Herod and Jesus ... 41 

17. Friday after the Second Sunday of Lent.— The Re- 

jection of the Jews, and Jesus on the Holy Stair- 
case 44 

18. Saturday after the Second Sunday of Lent. — The 

Prodigal Son ; Barabbas Preferred to Jesus . . 47 

19. Third Sunday of Lent. — The Dumb and Unclean 

Spirit. Jesus is Scourged 50 

20. Monday after the Third Sunday of Lent. — Jesus in 

His own City. He is Crowned with Thorns . . 53 

21. Tuesday after the Third Sunday of Lent. — Brotherly 

Correction, and the Ecce Homo 56 

22. Wednesday after the Third Sunday of Lent. — The 

Reproaches of the Pharisees. The Condemnation 
of Jesus 58 

23. Thursday after the Third Sunday of Lent. — The Son 

of God Performs Miracles, and the Saviour Car- 
ries His Cross 62 

24. Friday after the Third Sunday of Lent.— Jesus at 

Jacob's Well. The First Fall Under the Cross . 64 

25. Saturday after the Third Sunday of Lent. — The 

Adulteress, and the Afflicted Mother 68 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 



26. Fourth Sunday of Lent. — The Multiplication of the 

Loaves. Simon of Cyrene 71 

27. Monday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent. — Clear- 

ing of the Temple. Veronica's Towel .... 74 

28. Tuesday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent. — The 

Teaching and Honor of Jesus. His Second Fall 
under the Cross 77 

29. Wednesday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent. — 'The 

Man Born Blind. The Women of Jerusalem . 80 

30. Thursday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent. — The 

Dead Son of the Widow. The Third Fall of Jesus 85 

31. Friday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent. — Lazarus 

in the Grave. Jesus is Stripped of His Garments 87 

32. Saturday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent. — The 

Testimony of the Light. The Crucifixion of Jesus 91 

33. Passion Sunday. — The Hidden Saviour. Jesus is 

Raised on the Cross 94 

34. Monday after Passion Sunday. — The Last Teaching 

of Jesus. The Thief on the Left 97 

35. Tuesday after Passion Sunday. — Jesus at the Feast 

of Tabernacles. The Thief on the Right ... 99 

36. Wednesday after Passion Sunday. — Divinity of Jesus, 

and His First Word on the Cross 102 

37. Thursday after Passion Sunday. — Jesus and Mag- 

dalene. The Second Word on the Cross . . . 105 

38. Friday after Passion Sunday. — The Counsel of the 

High-priest. The Third Word on the Cross . . 108 

39. Saturday after Passion Sunday. — The Voice from 

Heaven. The Fourth Word on the Cross . . .111 

40. Palm Sunday. — The Triumphant Entry of Jesus. 

The Fifth Word on the Cross 115 

41. Monday in Holy Week.— The Anointment of Jesus 

by Mary. The Sixth Word on the Cross . . .117 

42. Tuesday in Holy Week. — The Lamentation of the 

Prophet. The Seventh Word on the Cross . . 120 



CONTENTS 



43- The Passion on Palm Sunday ^ 

44- The Passion on Tuesday in Holy Week I34 

45- The Passion on Wednesday in Holy Week .... 144 

46. The Passion on Good Friday It - 4 

47- The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Passion of 

Christ 162 

48. A Prayer for the Church 169 

49- A Public Confession I7I 

50. Litany of the Passion I72 



THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 
AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 

ASH-WEDNESDAY 

Gospel. St. Math, vi, 16-21. 

(Fasting and Alms. Meditation on the Passion of Christ.) 

At that time Jesus said to His disciples : When 
you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad : for they dis- 
figure their faces, that they may appear unto men 
to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received 
their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint 
thy head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not 
to men to fast, but to thy Father Who is in secret ; 
and thy Father, Who seeth in secret, will repay 
thee. Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth : 
where the rust and moth consume, and where 
thieves break through and steal. But lay up to 
yourselves treasures in heaven : where neither rust 
nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not 
break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure 
is, there is thy heart also. 

Christian Soul ! The holy gospel teaches you that 
you should not gather treasures for this world. 
I 



2 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

All earthly goods, joys and honors do not bring 
you true happiness; on the contrary, they expose 
you to the danger of neglecting to gather treasures 
for heaven, of neglecting to enrich yourself with 
the merits of good works which would procure 
for you everlasting peace, imperishable joy, the 
glory of God, — yes, God Himself with all His 
blessings for all eternity. 

Fasting, alms, penance and the corporal and 
spiritual works of mercy are the best means to em- 
ploy during the forty days of Lent to gather heav- 
enly treasures. For this purpose, O Christian, God 
Himself summons you to-day, while through His 
church He earnestly cries out to you : " Remember 
man that thou art dust, and into dust thou wilt 
return." 

Let the bitter passion and death of your Lord 
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, be the subject-matter of 
your daily meditation during this holy season. Hu- 
mility and contrition will be the blessed fruit thereof. 

Resolve to attend daily, if possible, the holy Sac- 
rifice of the Mass in which the passion and death 
of your Saviour is actually renewed, and rest as- 
sured that God will not despise a humble and con- 
trite heart. P. Alvarez truly says : " The cause of 
all unholiness among Christians is that they do not 
know what treasures are hidden in the passion of 
Jesus." 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 3 

LET US PRAY. 

"Grant to Thy faithful, O Lord, that they may 
begin the venerable solemnity of Lent with becom- 
ing piety, and perform it with undisturbed devo- 
tion." 

O God of mercy and compassion, have pity on us 
poor sinners. As Thou invitest us to-day to the 
practice of penance, so grant us the necessary 
strength to conquer our sensuality. We are but 
dust and ashes; therefore have compassion and be- 
stow on us the spirit of penance, through the merits 
of the bitter passion, and death of Jesus; that we, 
through the good works of prayer, fasting and 
alms-giving, may obtain the everlasting and imper- 
ishable treasures of heaven, through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord, Amen. 

2. THURSDAY AFTER ASH- WEDNESDAY 

Gospel. St. Math, viii, 5-13. 
(The Centurion at Capharnaum. Jesus goes to Mt. Olivet.) 

At that time : when Jesus had entered into 
Capharnaum, there came to Him a centurion, be- 
seeching Him, and saying: Lord, my servant lieth 
at home sick with the palsy, and is grievously tor- 
mented. And Jesus said to him : I will come and 
heal him. And the centurion making answer, said : 
Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter 



4 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

under my roof, but only say the word, and my 
servant shall be healed. For I also am a man sub- 
ject to authority, having under me soldiers; and I 
say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, 
and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he 
doth it. And Jesus hearing this marvelled, and 
said to them that followed Him : Amen I say to 
you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And 
I say to you that many shall come from the East 
and the West, and shall sit down with Abraham, 
and Isaac, and Joseph, in the kingdom of heaven : 
but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out 
into the exterior darkness : there shall be weeping 
and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the cen- 
turion, Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done 
to thee. And the servant was healed at the same 
hour. 

Christian Soul ! Would that our divine Saviour 
could say also of you. " Amen, I say to you, I 
have not found so great faith in Israel." May 
your faith, like that of the centurion, be humble 
and constant in regard to all that God has revealed 
and presents for your belief through His Holy 
Church. But join to your faith a pious life, since 
faith without good works is dead; and if you wish 
that Jesus should glorify you before His Father in 
heaven, you must always confess Him before men 
by word and deed. Behold your highest model, 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 5 

Jesus as He goes forth to Mount Olivet to begin 
His holy passion. " When Jesus had said this, He 
betook Himself with His disciples over the brook 
Cedron, where there was a garden, in which He 
and His disciples, entered." How the generosity 
and heroic love of Jesus puts to shame your cow- 
ardice and unfaithfulness in the service of God. 
" Pray lest we fall into temptation," He says to 
Peter, James and John who witnessed His trans- 
figuration on Mount Tabor. " And He began to 
tremble and to shudder." — And you tremble not, O 
Christian, and you shudder not, O Christian, over 
the multitude of your sins and the weakness of 
your faith? Think of it, at least every Thursday, 
when the hour of death's agony strikes, and pray 
with your suffering Saviour : " Through Thy last 
agony and dreadful dereliction, O my good Jesus, 
we beseech Thee, never forsake us, especially in 
the hour of our death, Amen." 

LET US PRAY. 

" O God, Who by sin art offended, and by penance 
pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy sup- 
pliant people, and turn away the scourge of Thy 
anger, which we deserve for our sins." 

Jesus Christ, God and Man, our beloved Saviour, 
we cast ourselves with the centurion at Thy feet, 
and beseech Thee, cleanse our soul from all sin; 



<5 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

grant us health of body and soul, perseverance in 
the faith, true sorrow and compunction in the hour 
of death, and by Thy agony on Mount Olivet, grant 
us perseverance unto the end ; through the merits of 
Thy bitter passion and death, and through the inter- 
cession of Mary, the sorrowful Mother of God, 
Amen. 



3. FRIDAY AFTER ASH-WEDNESDAY 

Gospel. St. Math, v, 43, vi, 1-4. 

(True Love of our Neighbor and Good Works. Love of 
Jesus for His Enemies on Mt. Olivet.) 

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: You 
have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy : but I say to you, 
Love your enemies: do good to them that hate 
you : and pray for them that persecute and calum- 
niate you : that you may be children of your Father 
Who is in heaven, Who maketh His sun to rise 
upon the good and bad, and raineth upon the just 
and unjust. For if you love them that love you, 
what reward shall you have? Do not even the 
publicans this? And if you salute your brethren 
only, what do you more, do not also the heathens 
this? Be ye therefore perfect, as also your heav- 
enly Father is perfect. Take heed that you do not 
your justice before men, to be seen by them; other- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 7 

wise you shall not have a reward of your Father, 
Who is in heaven. Therefore when thou dost an 
almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the 
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, 
that they may be honored by men. Amen I say 
to you, they have received their reward. But when 
thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what 
thy right hand doth, that thy alms may be in secret, 
and thy Father Who seeth in secret, will repay thee. 

Christian Soul! The gospel teaches you that 
you cannot give God a better proof of your love 
than by you practising love towards your enemy, 
since this is the most difficult part in the command- 
ment of the love of our neighbor. Besides this is 
the best means to obtain the forgiveness of sins and 
the grace of God, and to become children of God 
forever. Our Lord says : " Forgive and you will 
be forgiven ;" hence, the love of our neighbor is an 
unfailing sign of election. 

But no one ever practised this virtue so eminently 
as our Saviour Whose heart, even in the midst of the 
greatest sufferings, was penetrated with this spirit 
of love. 

Contemplate Jesus in the Garden of Olives. 
He began to grow sorrowful and to fear, to trem- 
ble and to shudder, and he said to His disciples: 
" My soul is sorrowful even unto death." Why 
is this? He sees all the insults and torments that 



8 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

await Him; all the sins of men, their crimes, their 
guilt and punishment are weighing Him down, and 
finally He sees the uselessness of His passion and 
death for countless men who, in spite of this love, 
will be lost forever. Still He enters courageously 
upon His suffering. What God-like love for one's 
enemies! And where is your love of your neigh- 
bor? And what is your behavior towards your en- 
emies, in thought, words and deeds ? 

Ask God for the grace to bear patiently and 
courageously all trials and adversities in union with 
the passion of Jesus Christ; pray to Him for your 
enemies, and pray for the conversion of sinners. 

LET US PRAY. 

" We beseech Thee, O Lord, assist us in the fast 
which we have undertaken, that we may be able 
to practise with a pure heart what we are observing 
with the body." 

We beseech Thee, O God, look down with gra- 
cious complacency upon our fasting so that we may 
be enabled to practise with a pure heart the ab- 
stinence which we are observing with the body, and 
so that we may imitate Jesus, the suffering Saviour, 
Thy divine Son, in His patience and love for His 
enemies, Amen. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 9 

4. SATURDAY AFTER ASH-WEDNESDAY 

Gospel. St. Mark vi, 47-56. 
(Jesus on the Sea. His Prayer in the Garden of Olives.) 

At that time : when it was late, the ship was in 
the midst of the sea, and Jesus alone on the land. 
And seeing them laboring in rowing (for the wind 
was against them) and about the fourth watch of 
the night He cometh to them walking upon the sea, 
and He would have passed by them. But they seeing 
Him walking upon the sea, thought he was an ap- 
parition, and they cried out. For they all saw Him, 
and were troubled. And immediately he spoke 
with them, and said to them : Have a good heart, 
it is I, fear ye not. And he went up to them into 
the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were far 
more astonished within themselves; for they un- 
derstood not concerning the loaves : for their hearts 
were blinded. And when they had past over, they 
came into the land -of Genesareth, and set to the 
shore. And when they were gone out of the ship, 
immediately they knew him : and running through 
that whole country, they began to carry about in 
beds those that were sick, where they heard He 
was. And whithersoever He entered, into towns or 
into villages, or cities, they laid the sick in the 
streets, and besought Him they might touch but the 



io THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

hem of His garment : and as many as touched Him 
were made whole. 

Christian Soul! The holy gospel teaches you 
that God chastises those whom He loves, as He al- 
lowed His disciples to suffer on the sea. As gold 
is refined by fire, so God purifies His Friends by 
spiritual and corporal suffering; and by this process 
they are made to resemble their Saviour. If they 
resemble Him in sufferings, they will also resemble 
Him in His glory ; for " No one will be crowned 
who has not fought lawfully." But as the disci- 
ples appealed to their Lord, so you in all your suf- 
ferings and afflictions must beg your Saviour for 
grace and help, and thus imitate Him in His glori- 
ous example of prayer. Contemplate the prayer of 
Jesus in the Garden of Olives. " He withdrew 
from His disciples a stone's cast away, kneeling 
down He fell upon His face, praying and saying: 
My Father, if it be possible let this chalice pass from 
me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." 
What reverence and humility in the prayer of 
Jesus! What touching pity combined with won- 
derful submission to the will of God! And He 
cometh to His disciples, and findeth them asleep, 
and He saith to Peter : What ? Could you not watch 
one hour with me? Again the second time, He 
went and prayed, saying: "My Father, if this 
chalice may not pass away but I must drink it, Thy 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST II 

will be done." And He cometh again, and findeth 
them sleeping. And leaving them He went again: 
and He prayed the third time, saying the self -same 
word — 

LET US PRAY. 

" O Lord, look graciously upon our prayer, and 
grant that we may perform with pious fidelity this 
solemn fast which was instituted for the wholesome 
purpose of bringing health to our soul and body." 

Divine Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who didst show 
so much patience with the frailty of Thy disciples 
on the sea and on Mount Olivet, have patience also 
with us poor sinners on the sea of dangers, suffer- 
ings and afflictions of this life. Give strength to 
our weak prayer; give courage and perseverance to 
our inconstant will that we may fulfill the divine 
will in fortune and misfortune, and especially in 
our last agony and in the grievous dereliction of 
the hour of death, Amen. 

5. FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Math, iv, i-ii. 
(Jesus is Tempted in the Desert. His agony at Mt. Olivet.) 

At that time : Jesus was led by the spirit into the 
desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he 
had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards 
he was hungry. And the tempter coming, said to 



12 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Him: If Thou be the Son of God, command that 
these stones be made bread. Who answered and 
said: It is written, not in bread alone doth man 
live, but in every word that proceedeth from the 
mouth of God. Then the devil took Him into the 
holy city, and set Him upon a pinnacle of the tem- 
ple, and said to Him: If Thou be the Son of God, 
cast Thyself down; for it is written: that he hath 
given His angels charge over Thee, and in their 
hands shall they bear Thee up, lest perhaps Thou 
dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said to Him : 
It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord 
thy God. Again the devil took Him up into a 
very high mountain : and showed Him all the king- 
doms of the world, and the glory of them, and said 
to Him : All these will I give Thee, if falling down 
Thou wilt adore me. Then Jesus saith to him : 
Begone, Satan: For it is written: The Lord thy 
God shall thou adore: and Him alone shall thou 
serve. Then the devil left Him : and behold angels 
came and administered to Him. 

Christian Soul! From the retirement of your 
Saviour in preparation for His divine work of 
teaching, you can learn that God communicates 
Himself most willingly to those souls that flee from 
the tumult of the world and live in the spirit of 
recollection. With this resolution begin the holy 
season of Lent. Jesus allows the devil to tempt 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 13 

Him to gluttony, vanity and pride. But He con- 
quers the temptations by prayer and fasting. The 
same Satan wishes to tempt you to live in luxury, 
to please the world, to seek after vain, empty honors 
and earthly possessions which are but so many 
snares to lead you into eternal perdition. Fast 
and Pray! By spiritual and corporal mortification 
and self denial you will, with the grace of God, 
win the victory. Contemplate your Saviour in 
His death-struggle on Mount Olivet. What does he 
do ? " And being in an agony, He prayed the 
longer. And His sweat becomes as drops of blood, 
trickling down upon the ground." St. Bernard re- 
marks : " This prayer of Jesus is a perfect example, 
teaching us how to pray: for it has the best prepa- 
ration, namely, solitude, and the best qualities, 
namely: humility, child-like confidence, attention 
and perseverance." Pray thus, Christian soul, and 
the angel of heavenly consolation will pour into 
your soul the unction of divine grace, and will 
grant you strength and consolation in all tempta- 
tions. 

LET US PRAY. 

" O God, Who dost purify Thy Church by the 
yearly observance of Lent, grant that what Thy 
servants endeavor to obtain of Thee by abstinence, 
they may put in execution by good works." 

Divine Saviour, our Redeemer and Sanctifier, as 



i 4 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Thou didst give us the example in the desert and at 
Mount Olives, of courage and determination in 
temptations, and the example of humility, confi- 
dence and perseverance in prayer; so grant us gra- 
ciously the same virtues in the dangers to which our 
salvation is exposed, and the grace of a humble, 
devout and persevering spirit in prayer, as often as 
we entreat Thee, Amen. 

6. MONDAY AFTER THE FIRST SUNDAY 

OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xiv, 31-46. 

(The Last Judgment and the Death-Sweat of Jesus on 
Mt. Olivet.) 

At that time Jesus said to His disciples : When 
the Son of Man shall come in His majesty, and all 
the angels with Him, there shall He sit upon the 
seat of His majesty. And all the nations shall be 
gathered together before Him, and He shall sep- 
arate them one from another, as the shepherd sep- 
arateth the sheep from the goats : and He shall set 
the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His 
left. Then shall the King say to them that shall 
be on His right hand: Come ye blessed of My 
Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world. For I was 
hungry, and you gave Me to eat: I was thirsty, 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 15 

and you gave me to drink: I was a stranger and 
you took Me in : naked, and you covered me : sick, 
and you visited me : I was in prison, and you came 
to me. Then shall the just answer Him, saying: 
Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, and fed Thee ? 
thirsty, and gave Thee to drink? and when did we 
see Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, 
and clothed Thee? or when did we see Thee sick 
or in prison, and come to Thee ? And the King an- 
swering shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as 
long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, 
you did it to Me. Then He shall say to them also 
that shall be on the left hand: Depart from me, 
you cursed, into everlasting fire which was pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels. For I was 
hungry, and you gave me not to eat : I was thirsty, 
and you gave me not to drink: I was a stranger 
and you took me not in: naked, and you covered 
me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit 
Me. Then they also shall answer Him, saying: 
Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, or thirsty, or 
a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did 
not minister to Thee? He shall answer them, 
saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it 
not to one of these least, neither did you do it to 
Me. And these shall go into everlasting punish- 
ment, but the just into life everlasting. 

You must be inspired with fear, Christian Soul, 



16 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

when you reflect upon this gospel. The eternal 
Judge, the eternal Light, will reveal in your particu- 
lar judgment, and also in the general judgment, 
before all mankind, all your sinful thoughts, words, 
actions and omissions. All the immodest looks 
of your eyes, all the injustice of your hands, all the 
calumniating words of your mouth, all the un- 
cleanness of your body — all this you shall see 
also as clear as noon-day in contrast with the in- 
nocence of Jesus Who suffered untold pains for 
you. But also the smallest good that you have 
thought, spoken, performed or suffered while in the 
state of grace and actuated by a good intention will 
not be forgotten, but will redound to your honor 
and shine in the brilliant majesty of the eternal 
Judge. O see that there be very little evil, and 
very much good to record in your life, so that you 
may occupy a place on the right hand of your Sav- 
iour on judgment day. It all depends on you. As 
an angel from heaven came and comforted Jesus in 
His bloody sweat on Mt. Olives; so in your death- 
agony all your good works shall become for you 
angels of consolation pacifying the eternal Judge. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Convert us, O God, our salvation, and that the 
fast of Lent may benefit us, instruct our minds with 
heavenly doctrine." 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 17 

O Jesus, our only Judge, through Thy death- 
agony, have mercy on us and grant us the grace to 
repent of all the sins of our past life, and never 
more to offend Thee. Since Thou art infinitely 
good and dost not wish the death of a sinner, enable 
us to live a God-fearing life that we may be fit to 
appear before Thee, when we die, and when Thou 
wilt judge both the living and the dead. Amen. 

7. TUESDAY AFTER FIRST SUNDAY OF 

LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xxi, 10-17. 

(Money-changers and Merchants Driven out of the Temple. 
Jesus is Betrayed by Judas.) 

At that time : When Jesus was come into Jeru- 
salem, the whole city was moved, saying: Who is 
this? And the people said: This is Jesus, the 
prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus 
went into the temple, and overthrew the tables of 
the moneychangers, and the chairs of them that 
sold doves, and He saith to them : It is written, 
My house shall be called the house of prayer, but 
you have made it a den of thieves. And there 
came to Him the blind, and the lame in the temple ; 
and he healed them. And the chief priests and 
scribes seeing the wonderful things that He did, 
and the children crying in the temple, and saying: 



18 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Hosanna to the son of David; were moved with in- 
dignation, and said to Him : Hearest Thou what 
they say ? And Jesus said to them : Yea, have you 
never read: Out of the mouth of infants and of 
sucklings Thou hast perfected praise? And leav- 
ing them, He went out of the city into Bethania, 
and remained there. 

Admire, O Christian soul, the power of the di- 
vinity of Jesus. Out of the temple He drives the 
profaners, and in the temple He heals the lame and 
the blind. The whole city is aroused, and inno- 
cence praises the Saviour of the world. Only the 
rulers of the temple and the learned scribes remain 
obstinate in their pride, remain obdurate and full 
of envy and hatred. Later on in the person of 
Judas they find a companion in their godlessness, 
and he performs the atrocious act of treason for 
thirty pieces of silver. He, one of the twelve 
apostles, and with him a large crowd armed with 
swords and clubs, come to Mt. Olivet. The traitor 
gave them a sign, saying : Whomsoever I shall kiss, 
that is He; hold Him fast. And forthwith com- 
ing to Jesus, he said : Hail Rabbi ! And he kissed 
Him. And Jesus said to him ; " Friend, whereto 
art thou come ?■ Judas, with a kiss dost thou betray 
the Son of Man? " The Pharisees, and Judas, who 
betrayed our Saviour by a kiss — the most express- 
ive sign of love and reverence — did not fall sud- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 19 

denly into this depth of perversion and godlessness. 
The unrestrained passions of envy, avarice, and 
pride, brought them to this fall, as the same passions 
have done with hundreds and thousands in the his- 
tory of the Church. One unworthy communion is 
an ungrateful insult, as grievous as the betrayal of 
Judas and his kiss of treason. Therefore, O Chris- 
tian soul, do not trust in yourself, watch and pray, 
and with God's grace fight against your predomi- 
nate passion; with the scourge of penance drive it 
out of the sacred temple of your soul. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Look down upon Thy family, O Lord, and 
grant that while we chastise ourselves by mortify- 
ing the flesh, our minds may be inflamed with the 
love and desire of Thee; and grant that, after this 
short life, we may all gather in Thy temple of 
eternal glory and sing: Hosanna to the Son of 
David." Amen. 

8. WEDNESDAY AFTER THE FIRST SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xii, 38-50. 

(The Judgment of Jesus upon the Pharisees, and His Mother 
and Brethren. The Seizure of Jesus.) 

At that time some of the scribes and Pharisees 
answered Jesus, saying: Master, we would see a 



20 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

sign from Thee. Who answering said to them: 
An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: 
and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of 
Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was in the whale's 
belly three days and three nights; So shall the Son 
of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and 
three nights. The men of Ninive shall rise in 
judgment with this generation, and shall condemn 
it; because they did penance at the preaching of 
Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here. 
The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with 
this generation, and shall condemn it ; because she 
came from the ends of the earth to hear the wis- 
dom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solo- 
mon here. And when an unclean spirit is gone 
out of a man, he walketh through dry places seek- 
ing rest, and fmdeth none. Then he saith ; I will 
return into my house from whence I came out. 
And coming he fmdeth it empty, swept and gar- 
nished. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven 
other spirits more wicked than himself and they 
enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that 
man is made worse than the first. So shall it be 
also to this wicked generation. As He was yet 
speaking to the multitudes, behold His mother and 
His brethren stood without, seeking to speak to 
Him. And one said to Him : Behold Thy mother 
and Thy brethren stand without seeking Thee. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 21 

But He answering him that told Him, said : Who is 
My mother, and who are My brethren? And 
stretching forth His hand towards His disciples, 
He said ; Behold My mother and My brethren, For 
whosoever shall do the will of My Father, that is in 
heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother. 

What a severe judgment Jesus pronounces on the 
scribes and Pharisees because they oppose the will 
of God, and blindly resist His wholesome admoni- 
tions! But he calls those His mother and brethren 
who fulfil the will of God. In fact, the conformity 
of our will to the will of God has great power over 
the heart of God, for this submission is the surest 
sign of love of God. But you also reign over your 
own heart, O Christian, when you will what God 
wills, because then you cannot be a slave of wicked 
propensities and evil passions. Even creatures, the 
elements, weather, health, sickness and all acci- 
dents cannot disturb your peace, if you will what 
God wills. Contemplate, O Christian soul, your 
Saviour in His capture. He knew all that would 
happen to Him. He could have fled when the exe- 
cutioners helplessly fell to the ground at the sound 
of His voice saying: " I am Pie." " The guard and 
the servants of the Jews seized Jesus and bound 
Him, all His disciples left Him and fled away." 
And Jesus willingly and quietly allows all this to 
happen, because in all things He desired to fulfil 



22 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

the will of His heavenly Father, — to become for 
us a model and example. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech Thee, 
O Lord, and against all our adversaries, extend the 
right hand of Thy majesty." Divine Saviour, be- 
loved Redeemer, we beseech Thee grant us the 
grace to imitate Thee in fulfilling the will of our 
heavenly Father in the smallest matters and at all 
times, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in 
health, in good fortune and in adversity. Grant 
that we may never murmur against Thy divine de- 
crees, or become impatient and despondent ; and 
preserve us from the misfortune of unbelief, of ob- 
stinacy and despair. In all things, may Thy will 
be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. 

9. THURSDAY AFTER THE FIRST SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. Matt, xv, 21-28. 

(The Prayer and the Faith of the Woman of Canaan. Jesus 
before the Judgment Seat of Men.) 

At that time; Jesus went from thence, and re- 
tired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And be- 
hold a woman of Canaan, who came out of those 
coasts, crying out, said to Him : Have mercy on 
me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; My daughter is 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 23 

grievously tormented by a devil. Who answered 
her not a word. And His disciples came and be- 
sought Him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth 
after us. And He answering, said : I was not sent 
but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel. 
But she came and adored Him, saying, Lord, help 
me. Who answering, said: It is not good to take 
the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs. 
But she said : Yea, Lord, for the whelps also eat 
of the crumbs that fall from the table of their mas- 
ter. Then Jesus answering, said to her : O woman, 
great is thy faith : be it done to thee as thou wilt ; 
and her daughter was cured from that hour. 

With what reverence, with what love and con- 
fidence, O Christian soul, does the woman of 
Canaan beg our divine Saviour for the cure of her 
daughter! With what faith and with what con- 
stancy does she persevere! And you cease to pray 
if God does not hear you immediately. Sometimes 
He wishes only to test and increase your fidelity. 
He often tarries so that you will prize more highly 
the favors that you are requesting. 

Reflect on the long series of humiliations and 
sufferings which your Saviour underwent out of 
love for you in His bitter passion, from Mt. Olivet 
to Golgotha ! He could have diminished them, and 
shortened the time of His suffering. Contemplate 
Him before the miserable judgment-seat of men; 



24 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

before Annas and his twenty-eight counsellors, 
Jesus stands silent and with eyes cast down; only 
before the high-priest does He assert His dignity, 
and in consequence thereof He receives a shameful 
blow on the cheek. How he could have dashed to 
pieces the whole troop with one glance of His 
divine countenance ! But with divine patience and 
meekness He listens to their wicked verdict : " He 
is guilty of death." 

LET US PRAY. 

" Look, O Lord, upon the devotion of Thy peo- 
ple, that mortifying their bodies by fasting, their 
minds may be refreshed by good works." 

Pardon, O God, through the patience and long- 
suffering of Thy divine Son, all the imperfections 
in our prayers since our childhood, and grant us 
the spirit of prayer, that we may always perform 
our devotions with attention, reverence, confidence 
and perseverance, and that we may always desire to 
be heard by Thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, 
Amen. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 25 

10. FRIDAY AFTER THE FIRST SUNDAY 

OF LENT 

Gospel. St. John v, 1-15. 

(Curing of a Man sick for Thirty-eight Years. Jesus before 
Caiphas.) 

At that time there was a festival-day of the Jews, 
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at 
Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in He- 
brew is named Bethsaida, having five porches. In 
these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of 
lame, of withered waiting for the coming of the 
water. And an angel of the Lord descended at 
certain times into the pond; and the water was 
moved. And he that went down first into the pond 
after the motion of the water, was made whole of 
whatsoever infirmity he lay under. And there 
was a certain man there, that had been eight-and- 
thirty years under his infirmity. Him when Jesus 
had seen lying, and knew that he had been now a 
long time, He saith to him : Wilt thou be made 
whole ? The infirm man answered Him : Sir, I have 
no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into 
the pond. For whilst I am coming, another goeth 
down before me. Jesus saith to him; Arise, take 
up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man 
was made whole ; and he took up his bed and 
walked. And it was the Sabbath that day. The 



26 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Jews therefore said to him that was healed: It is 
the Sabbath, it is not lawful for thee to take up thy 
bed. He answered them : He that made me whole, 
He said to me : Take up thy bed and walk. They 
asked him therefore : Who is that man who said to 
thee : Take up thy bed and walk ? But he who was 
healed knew not who it was. For Jesus went 
aside from the multitude standing in the place. 
Afterwards Jesus findeth him in the temple, and 
saith to him : Behold thou art made whole ; sin no 
more, lest some worse thing happen to thee. The 
man went his way, and told the Jews that it was 
Jesus who had made him whole. 

Christian soul, if you are living in a state of 
lukewarmness, you resemble the sick man in the 
gospel. For a long time the lukewarm Christian 
remains sick, and he has no zeal for the service of 
God and the welfare of his soul. Just as zealous 
as he is in the gratification of his sinful inclinations 
and passions, so lukewarm is he in the practice of 
virtue; he prays, but with no attention; he performs 
some good work perhaps, but with carelessness. 
He emerges, perhaps, from a state, which God 
compares with lukewarm water; but pleasure, self- 
ishness, and vanity drag him back into the old condi- 
tion : Only in the waters of virtue, of penance, and 
by the frequent and worthy reception of the sacra- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 27 

ments can you be cured from this disease, O Chris- 
tain soul, if you are lukewarm. 

O what has the tepidity of so many souls cost 
our suffering Saviour! Behold Him standing be- 
fore Caiphas. Contemplate that bitter enemy of 
Jesus, the abuse of your Saviour, the contradiction 
of the witnesses, and the indescribable, mute pa- 
tience of your Lord; a silence which must make 
every lukewarm conscience tremble, when one re- 
calls the words of Jesus : " Would that thou wert 
warm or cold, but because thou art lukewarm, I 
will spit thee out of my mouth." 

LET US PRAY. 

" Be merciful, O Lord, to Thy people, and as 
Thou makest them devoted to Thee, mercifully re- 
fresh them with kind assistance." 

Never permit us to fall into the sad state of 
lukewarmness, O suffering Jesus. As Thou didst 
the man that was sick for thirty-eight years, so 
convert all lukewarm souls to Thee, that we may all 
serve Thee zealously and that we may be always 
pleasing to Thee. Amen. 



28 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

II. SATURDAY AFTER THE FIRST SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xvii, 1-9. 
(The Transfiguration of Jesus and the Denial by Peter.) 

At that time : Jesus taketh unto Him Peter and 
James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up 
into a high mountain apart: and He was trans- 
figured before them. And His face did shine as the 
sun : and His garments became white as snow. 
And behold there appeared to them Moses and 
Elias talking with Him. And Peter, answering, 
said to Jesus : Lord, it is good for us to be here : 
if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, 
one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for 
Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a 
bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo a voice 
out of the clouds saying: This is my beloved Son, 
in whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him. And 
the disciples hearing, fell upon their face : and were 
very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched 
them : and said to them : Arise and fear not. And 
they lifting up their eyes saw no one, but only 
Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, 
Jesus charged them saying: Tell the vision to no 
man, till the Son of Man be risen from the dead. 

On a high mountain, O Christian soul, Jesus 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 29 

shows His disciples a reflection of His glory and 
magnificence. Not in the tumult of the world, but 
in the greatest solitude and retirement, will you 
become like unto Christ and reach eternal glory. 
But even in this world our Saviour glorifies with 
inward peace, content, and holy consolation those 
souls that love Him sincerely, and out of love for 
Him avoid every sin and imperfection. However, 
in those moments of interior joy it is all the more 
necessary to distrust oneself lest he fall into sin. 
Just that disciple who delighted most in the trans- 
figuration and displayed too much self confidence 
was permitted by our Lord to fall in the course of 
the bitter passion of Jesus. " But Peter sat without 
in the court and there came to him a servant-maid 
saying: Thou also wast with Jesus, the Galilean. 
But he denied before them all, saying: I know not 
what thou sayest. And as she went out of the 
gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them 
that were there: This man also was with Jesus of 
Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath : that 
I know not the man. And after a little while they 
came that stood by, and said to Peter : Surely thou 
also art one of them: for even thy speech doth 
discover thee. Then he began to curse and to 
swear that he knew not the man. And immediately 
the cock crew." " And Peter remembered the 
word of Jesus which Pie had said : Before the cock 



30 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And going forth 
he wept bitterly." 

O how often, Christian soul, have you acted like 
Peter. When you are successful, when you ex- 
perience divine consolation and believe that you see 
a ray of the glorious transfiguration of your Saviour, 
then you should be especially watchful over yourself 
and reflect humbly on the denial of our Lord by 
Peter. 

LET US PRAY. 

" We beseech Thee, O Lord, look with favor upon 
Thy people and mercifully turn from them the 
scourge of Thy wrath." 

Divine Saviour, lead us unto Mt. Tabor or unto 
Mt. Calvary, but grant us the grace always to mis- 
trust ourselves, to place all our confidence in Thy 
goodness, always to confess Thee faithfully and thus 
to attain the eternal transfiguration. Amen. 

12. SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xvii, 1-9. 
(The Transfiguration of Jesus, and the Contrition of Peter.) 

At that time : Jesus taketh unto Him Peter and 
James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up 
into a high mountain apart : and He was trans- 
figured before them. And His face did shine as the 
sun : and His garments became white as snow. And 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 31 

behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias 
talking with Him. And Peter answering, said to 
Jesus : Lord, it is good for us to be here : if Thou 
wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for 
Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And 
as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud over- 
shadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud 
saying : This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
well pleased : hear ye Him. And the disciples hear- 
ing, fell upon their face : and were very much afraid. 
And Jesus came and touched them: and said to 
them: Arise and fear not. And they lifting up 
their eyes saw no one, but only Jesus, And as they 
came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them 
saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of 
man be risen from the dead. 

Our divine Saviour manifested Himself to His 
disciples, Peter, James, and John as the Son of 
God to Whom this glory belongs; as the Saviour 
Who merited this glory for Himself and for His 
faithful; and as the head of all the elect with whom 
He will share His glory. For this reason, O Chris- 
tian soul, He requires that in this life you strive 
after this transfiguration by hoping for that glory, 
by despising all things that may hinder you from 
it, in other words, by the diligent practice of mortifi- 
cation and self-denial both of soul and body. As 
you have so often imitated Peter in his sin, so you 



32 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

should also imitate him in his contrition for sin. 
After Peter had denied Jesus, " The Lord, turn- 
ing, looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the 
word of the Lord, as He had said : Before the cock 
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter going 
out wept bitterly." A single glance of Jesus moved 
the heart of Peter, and penetrated with sorrow he 
burst into tears. Jesus, your Saviour, has perhaps 
looked deeply into your heart in His divine mercy 
and love by the voice of your parents, your pastor, 
your teacher, your confessor, or by means of in- 
ward admonitions and external events; and you 
perhaps have never repented of your sins out of 
love of Jesus as did Peter, or even out of fear 
of punishment, or from a consciousness of the 
shamefulness of your sins. In preparation for 
your Easter confession and communion, repent of 
your ingratitude, shun every sin, avoid the occasion 
of evil, and pray for the grace of true sorrow and 
compunction. 

LET US PRAY. 

" O God, Who beholdest us destitute of all 
strength, preserve us both inwardly and outwardly, 
that our bodies may be free from all adversity, and 
our souls purified from all evil thoughts." 

Divine Saviour, Jesus Christ, through the repent- 
ance of Thy penitent disciple, Peter, Grant us true 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 33 

and perfect contrition for our sins, that our souls 
may be transfigured here by Thy grace and here- 
after by Thy glory. Amen. 



13. MONDAY AFTER SECOND SUNDAY 

OF LENT 

Gospel. St. John viii, 21-29. 

(Divinity of Jesus. His Threat and the Obduracy of the Jews. 
Jesus in Prison.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitude of the 
Jews : I go, and you shall seek Me, and you shall 
die in your sin. Whither I go, you cannot come. 
The Jews therefore said : Will He kill Himself, 
because He said : Whither I go, you cannot come ? 
And He said to them : You are from beneath, I 
am from above. You are of this world, I am not 
of this world. Therefore, I said to you, that you 
shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that 
I am Fie, you shall die in your sin. They said 
therefore to Him: Who art Thou? Jesus said to 
them : The beginning Who also speak unto you. 
Many things I have to speak and to judge of you. 
But He that sent Me is true ; and the things I have 
heard of Him, these same I speak in the world. 
And they understood not that He called God His 
Father. Jesus therefore said to them: When you 
shall have lifted up the son of Man, then shall 



34 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

you know that I am He, and that I do nothing of 
Myself, but as the Father has taught Me, these 
things I speak : and He that sent Me is with Me, and 
He hath not left Me alone: for I do always the 
things that please Him. 

Jesus declared His divinity solemnly and dis- 
tinctly before the Jews. One would think that 
this dreadful threat of the Son of God : " I go, and 
you shall seek Me, and you shall die in your sin," 
that this would have penetrated the Jews to the 
very marrow of their bones, and that they would 
have been converted for fear of dying in the midst 
of their sins and of being punished for all eternity. 

But behold, O Christain soul, the children of the 
world at the present day; they live according to 
the maxims of the world and despise the doctrines 
of Jesus and the Commandments of His Church, 
— yet they fondly expect a good death after a sin- 
ful life. Are they better than those Jews? Do 
you perhaps belong to their number? Ask your- 
self whether your sins are the result of human 
frailty and ignorance, or are they sins of malice. 
If they are committed with perfect knowledge and 
from bad habits, in grievous matters, and you do 
not correct them, then you will die in your sin. 
Behold those Jews. Did they repent? A little 
later they confined Jesus in a small round vault 
under the court-room. During the whole night 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST '35 

they allowed Him no rest; they tied Him to a post 
and abused Him in the most atrocious way; mean- 
while He prayed for His tormentors. Early in the 
morning Caiphas, Annas and the leaders of the 
Jews gather in a large hall around the poor mal- 
treated Saviour of mankind, and, despite the de- 
termined opposition of Nicodemus, Joseph of 
Arimathea and the other friends of Jesus, they 
solemnly pronounce upon Him the sentence of death. 
Such is the result of obduracy in the sin of un- 
belief. " When you shall have lifted up the Son of 
Man, then shall you know that I am He," that is, 
the Son of God, your formidable Judge. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that 
Thy family, who afflict their flesh by abstaining from 
food may likewise fast from sin by following right- 
eousness." 

O Jesus, through Thy bitter sufferings in the 
prison, preserve us from the punishment of blind 
perversion, from eternal death in sin, and from 
the prison of Thy dreadful judgment of the repro- 
bate. Amen. 



36 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

14. TUESDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xxiii, 1-12. 

(The Hypocrisy and Arrogance of the Pharisees and the 
Despair of the Traitor.) 

At that time Jesus spoke to the multitudes and 
to His disciples, saying, The scribes and the 
Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All 
things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, 
observe and do: but according to their works do 
ye not: for they say, and do not. For they bind 
heavy and unsupportable burdens, and lay them on 
men's shoulders: but with a finger of their own 
they will not move them. And all their works they 
do for to be seen of men. For they make their 
phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes. And 
they love the first place at feasts, and the first 
chairs in the synagogues, and salutations in the 
market-place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. But 
be not you called Rabbi. For One is your master, 
and all you are brethren. And call none your father 
upon earth : for One is your father Who is in 
heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for One is 
your master, Christ. He that is the greatest among 
you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall 
exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that shall 
humble himself shall be exalted. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 37 

How severely does Jesus in the gospel punish 
the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, O Chris- 
tian soul, and how strongly does He recommend 
obedience towards superiors, spiritual and secular, 
pastors, parents, teachers and masters. In fact all 
of these exercise their authority only in the name 
of that One, Who is your Master, your Father, 
your Teacher, and yet the servant of all. God 
rejects only hypocrisy, pride, disobedience, wilful- 
ness and inordinate self -exaltation. 

The saddest example of these vices and their 
terrible punishment is presented to you by Judas and 
the despair of this traitor. When he saw that his 
avarice, pride and hypocrisy had brought upon his 
Saviour the sentence of death, he was seized with 
anxiety and sorrow ; but it was too late, and despair 
overwhelmed him. He sees now the innocent 
Master and the scorn and pride of the Jews that 
misled him; his kiss of treachery stands before his 
soul; Satan so confuses his faculties that he no 
longer sees the merciful Redeemer, but the im- 
placable Judge ; he wanders through a marshy place 
to the foot of the Mountain of Scandal; with a 
rope he hangs himself on a tree, his body bursts and 
his entrails gush out of his traitorous corpse. So 
ends the unfortunate victim of the pride and hypoc- 
risy of the scribes and Pharisees, and the victim of 
his own unbridled passion. 



38 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

LET US PRAY. 

" Graciously perfect in us, we beseeech Thee, O 
Lord, the spirit of holy obedience, that with Thy 
help we may be able to perform what, through Thy 
instruction, we recognize as our duty." 

By Thy bitter passion, O Jesus, and by the severe 
pain which the sin and punishment of Judas caused 
Thy divine Heart, grant us the grace of humility, 
obedience, faithfulness, and self-sacrifice so that in 
all things we may promote Thy honor and the ful- 
filment of Thy will for time and eternity. Amen. 

15. WEDNESDAY AFTER THE SECOND 
SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xx, 17-28. 

(Jesus Prophesies His Bitter Passion. Ambition of two 
Disciples. Jesus before Pilate.) 

At that time : Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took 
the twelve disciples apart, and said to them : Behold 
we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall 
be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and 
they shall condemn Him to death. And they shall 
deliver Him to the gentiles to be mocked, and 
scourged, and crucified, and the third day He shall 
rise again. Then came to Him the mother of the 
sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking 
something of Him. Who said to her: What wilt 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 39 

thou? She saith to Him: Say that these my two 
sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the 
other on Thy left, in Thy kingdom. But Jesus 
answering, said: You know not what you ask. 
Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink ? They 
said to Him : We can. He saith to them : My 
chalice indeed you shall drink: but to sit on My 
right or left hand, is not Mine to give to you, but 
to them for whom it is prepared by My Father. 
And the ten hearing it were moved with indignation 
against the two brothers. But Jesus called them 
to Him, and said: You know that the princes of 
the gentiles lord it over them : and they that are 
the greater exercise power upon them. It shall 
not be so among you, but whosoever will be the 
greater among you, let him be your minister. And 
he that will be first among you, shall be your serv- 
ant. Even as the Son of man is not come to be 
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His 
life a redemption for many. 

What a contrast, Christian soul, between the 
loving Saviour foretelling His bitter passion and 
the vanity of the mother and her sons ! Certainly 
it would be praiseworthy for all mothers to wish to 
have their children placed near Jesus; but not for 
the sake of temporal advantages in an earthly 
kingdom, or from vanity, selfishness, pride and a 
spirit of worldliness. Behold your Saviour, O 



4 o THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Christian soul; contemplate Jesus before Pilate, 
and admire the humility of His holy Mother. 
Jesus is led from Mt. Sion to the palace and tribunal 
of Pilate, the heathen governor, in the midst of 
false witnesses, exasperated Pharisees, soldiers and 
officials. And Jesus, the picture of misery, shiver- 
ing, weakened by blows, is abused and derided. 
In this condition, Mary, His Mother, beholds 
Him, as she with John and Magdalene stand to- 
gether in a corner of the judgment hall. Consider 
the glance, full of patience, humility and pain that 
is exchanged between Son and Mother. Now He 
stands before Pilate, the vice-roy of the emperor. 
Pilate hears the accusations of the Jews; he is as- 
tonished at the dignity, the mildness, the patience 
and the humility of the Redeemer; he recognizes 
and confesses the innocence of the Saviour; but 
vanity, human respect and cowardice stifle the sense 
of justice, and he misuses Jesus for the sake of 
pleasing men. Truly " the Son of man is not come 
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and give 
His life a redemption for many," that is for all 
that believe in Him and follow Him. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Mercifully regard Thy people, O Lord, we 
beseech Thee, and grant that we, whom Thou com- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 41 

mandest to abstain from carnal food, may also 
cease from hurtful vices." 

Preserve us, O loving Saviour from the sins of 
vanity and pride, and grant us the grace of patience 
and humility that we may remain true to Thee in 
temptations, sufferings and persecutions, and that 
we may openly confess and honor Thee so that 
Thou mayest exalt us in eternal glory. Amen. 

16. THURSDAY AFTER THE SECOND 

SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Luke xvi, 19-31. 

(The Rich Man and Lazarus; Herod and Jesus.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees : There 
was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple 
and fine linen : and feasted sumptuously every day. 
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 
who lay at his gate, full of sores, desiring to be 
filled with the crumbs from the rich man's table, and 
no one did give him; moreover the dogs came and 
licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beg- 
gar died, and was carried by the angels into Abra- 
ham's bpsom. And the rich man also died; and 
he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes when 
he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and 
Lazarus in his bosom ; and he cried and said : 



42 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send 
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his ringer in 
water, to cool my tongue, for I am tormented in 
this flame. And Abraham said to him : Son, 
remember that thou didst receive good things in thy 
lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now 
he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And 
besides all this, between you and us there is fixed a 
great chaos; so that they who would pass from 
hence to you cannot, nor from thence come hither. 
And he said : Then father, I beseech thee that thou 
wouldst send him to my father's house : for I have 
five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest 
they also come into this place of torments. And 
Abraham said to him: they have Moses and the 
prophets; let them hear them. But he said: No 
Father Abraham, but if one went to them from the 
dead, they will do penance. And he said to him : 
If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither 
will they believe if one rise again from the dead. 

The strikingly beautiful gospel which you have 
just heard, O Christian soul, contains within itself its 
best explanation. How true it is, as Abraham re- 
marks to the glutton in hell, that the unbeliever 
who will not hear Moses and the prophets, or Jesus 
and His Church, would also not believe one rising 
from the dead. This is proven by Herod's conduct. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 43 

Before Herod's judgment seat, Jesus appears; Be- 
fore the incestuous Herod, stands the innocent 
Jesus; before the murderer of prophets, stands the 
eternal Judge. Herod demanded signs and won- 
ders : Jesus offers only divine silence. Then Herod 
places on Jesus in mockery a white garment, laughs 
at Him, upbraids Him, scoffs at Him, and flings 
filth at Him — the Lazarus of the New Testament 
suffers all these insults to preserve us from the 
glutton's lot in hell, which we merit by our pride, 
vanity and gratification of the appetites. Christ 
even came back from the dead for Herod. Did he 
then believe? The profligate sinner died a hor- 
rible death. Before and after his time, how many 
damned souls, for whom Jesus shed His precious 
blood, are sharing the terrible lot of the rich glut- 
ton, — hell with everlasting fire enkindled by the 
wrath of God, indescribable pains of every sort, the 
eternal loss of the sight of God and the joys of 
heaven, the torments of all the senses and the in- 
sufferable company of the infernal spirits and the 
howling and gnashing of teeth of the damned rag- 
ing in despair. 

If you do not wish to fall into this abyss, O Chris- 
tain soul, then avoid the sin of the glutton, and 
practise the virtues of Lazarus during the short 
days of your probation in this world. 



44 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the help 
of Thy grace, that we, dutifully engaged in fasting 
and prayer, may be freed from all enemies of body 
and soul." 

By Thy bitter passion and death, O Jesus, most 
patient Saviour, preserve us from death in sin and 
from the awful punishment that follows it : the tor- 
ments of hell. Amen. 

17. FRIDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xxi, 33-46. 

(The Rejection of the Jews, and Jesus at the Holy 
Stair-case.) 

At that time Jesus spoke this parable to the multi- 
tude of the Jews and the chief priests. There was 
a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and 
made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, 
and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen ; and 
went into a strange country. And when the time 
of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the 
husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits 
thereof. And the husbandmen laying hands on his 
servants beat one and killed another, and stoned 
another. Again he sent other servants more than 
the former; and they did to them in like manner. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 45 

And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: 
They will reverence my son. But the husbandmen 
seeing the son, said among themselves : This is the 
heir, come, let us kill him, and we shall have his 
inheritance. And taking him they cast him forth 
out of the vineyard, and killed him. When there- 
fore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will 
he do to those husbandmen ? They say to him : 
He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and 
will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that 
shall render him the fruit in due season. Jesus saith 
to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: 
The stone which the builders reject, the same is 
become the head of the corner? By the Lord this 
hath been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes. 
Therefore I say to you, that the Kingdom of God 
shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a 
nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever 
shall fall on this stone, shall be broken; but on 
whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to 
powder. And when the chief priests and Phari- 
sees had heard His parables, they knew that He 
spoke of them. And seeking to lay hands on Him, 
they feared the multitude: because they held Him 
as a prophet. 

Christian soul, the gospel describes the horrible 
ingratitude of the Jews towards God and towards 
His messengers. It was this vice which caused 



46 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Him to reject the chosen people. In fact there is 
nothing which is so detested by God and by men 
as ingratitude. God withdraws His grace from 
the ungrateful person, and leaves him in his misery, 
because his conceit forces God to hate him. Then 
the ingrate loses all taste for higher things, his 
zeal for God and for the salvation of his soul 
vanishes, and he is despised by God and by men. 

Consider the ingratitude of the Jews towards 
their suffering Saviour. Instead of having rever- 
ence for the son of the eternal Father Who be- 
stowed on them so many favors, they lead Him 
from Herod back to Pilate. These two men were 
once enemies, but now they are friends united by 
the common bonds of ingratitude. The Jews drag 
Jesus up the holy stair-case so roughly that He 
falls on the white marble steps and moistens them 
with the blood of His holy head. (This holy stair- 
case is exhibited at the present day in Rome, and 
it is reverenced with the greatest devotion.) Is 
it a wonder that the kingdom of God should have 
been taken from this nation? But you, O Chris- 
tian soul, reflect on your own ingratitude towards 
God; repent of it, and do penance for it, that a 
similar punishment may not befall you. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 47 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that, 
purified by the holy fast, we may celebrate the com- 
ing festival with pure hearts." 

By Thy awful sufferings of body and soul, par- 
don, O Jesus, the ingratitude of our lives, and fill 
our hearts with the spirit of grateful love towards 
God and men; unworthy as we are, do not with- 
draw Thy grace from us, as Thou didst never tire 
of dispensing Thy favors. Amen. 

18. SATURDAY AFTER SECOND SUNDAY 
OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Luke xv, 11-29. 
(The Prodigal Son. Barabbas Preferred to Jesus.) 

In that time Jesus spoke this parable to the scribes 
and Pharisees : A certain man had two sons ; and 
the younger of them said to his father : Father, 
give me the portion of substance that falls to me. 
And he divided unto them his substance. And not 
many days after, the younger son gathering all 
together, went abroad into a far country, and there 
wasted his substance, living riotously. And after 
he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that 
country, and he began to be irr want. And he went 
and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. 
And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And 



48 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

he would fain have filled his belly with the husks 
the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him. 
And returning to himself, he said : How many hired 
servants in my father's house abound with bread, 
and I here perish with hunger? I will arise, and 
will go to my father, and say to him: Father, I 
have sinned against heaven, and before thee: I am 
not now worthy to be called thy son : make me as one 
of thy hired servants. And rising up he came to 
his father. And when he was yet a great way off, 
his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, 
and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed 
him. And the son said to him: Father, I have 
sinned against Heaven and before thee, I am not 
worthy to be called thy son. But the father said 
to his servants : Bring forth quickly the first robe, 
and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and 
shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, 
and kill it, and let us eat and make merry : because 
this my son was dead, and is come to life again: 
was lost, and is found. And they began to be 
merry. Now his elder son was in the field, and 
when he came out and drew nigh to the house, he 
heard music and dancing: and he called one of the 
servants, and asked what these things meant. And 
he said to him : Thy brother is come, and thy father 
hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received 
him safe. And he was angry and would not go in. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 49 

His father therefore coming out began to entreat 
him. And he answering, said to his father : Be- 
hold, for so many years do I serve thee, and I 
have never transgressed thy commandment, and yet 
thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with 
my friends : but as soon as this thy son is come, who 
hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast 
killed for him the fatted calf. But he said to him : 
Son, thou art always with me, and all I have is 
thine. But it was fit that we should make merry 
and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is 
come to life again; he was lost and is found. 

Reflect deeply, O Christian soul, on this gospel so 
suggestive in its contents. Consider the departure 
of the prodigal son, his misery, his return to his 
father's house; and examine to what extent you 
resemble him in honor or in disgrace. Contemplate 
how the suffering Saviour allows Himself to be 
placed beside a lost son of Israel, Barabbas, a mur- 
derer. Pilate, in his effort to set Jesus free, be- 
lieved that the Jews, mindful of the benefits be- 
stowed on them by Jesus, would certainly prefer 
Him to a murderer. But the lost sons of Juda 
exclaimed : " Away with Him, release unto us 
Barabbas." O unfathomable wickedness of men, 
and incomprehensible humility of a God who en- 
dures it ! Have you, O Christian soul, never pre- 
ferred earthly things to your Saviour? 



50 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, a salutary 
effect to our fasts, that the chastisement of the 
flesh which we have taken upon us may promote 
the vigor of our souls." 

How often, O divine Sufferer, have we imitated 
the prodigal son in his wanderings, and how often 
have we chosen the murderer of our souls in prefer- 
ence to Thee. Through the superabundance of 
Thy sufferings, we entreat Thee for the grace to 
resemble the prodigal son in his return and in his 
conversion; and grant us the grace to prefer Thee 
to all things, and to become worthy of Thy com- 
passion and heavenly peace. Amen. 

19. THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Luke xv, 14-28. 

(The Dumb and Unclean Spirit. Jesus is Scourged.) 

At that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and 
the same was dumb ; and when He had cast out the 
devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes were in 
admiration at it: But some of them said: He 
casteth out devils, by Beelzebub, the prince of 
devils. And others tempting, asked of Him a sign 
from heaven. But He seeing their thoughts said 
to them : Every kingdom divided against itself shall 
be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 51 

fall. And if Satan also be divided against him- 
self, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you 
say, that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now 
if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your 
children cast them out? Therefore they shall be 
your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast 
out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God is come 
upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his 
court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. 
But if a stronger man than he come upon him and 
overcome him: he will take away all his armor 
wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. 
He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that 
gathereth not with Me, scattereth. When the un- 
clean spirit is gone out of man, he walketh through 
places without water, seeking rest ; and not finding, 
he saith: I will return into my house whence I 
came out. And when he is come, he findeth it 
swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh 
with him seven other spirits more wicked than him- 
self, and entering in they dwell there. And the 
last state of that man becometh worse than the first. 
And it came to pass : as He spoke these things, a 
certain woman from the crowd lifting up her voice 
said to Him : Blessed is the womb that bore Thee 
and the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: 
Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word 
of God and keep it. 



52 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Man is often dumb and his tongue is tied, when 
it is his duty to defend God's honor, to profess his 
faith, to correct his neighbor, or to accuse himself 
uprightly in confession. How is it with you, O 
Christian soul, in this respect? How often is your 
tongue misused for slander and calumniation, for 
violating the law of charity, for murmuring and 
complaining, for uttering angry, envious and im- 
modest words? All of these sins are a source of 
joy for the unclean spirit. How many souls does 
the craft of Satan bring into eternal ruin through 
the misuse of the tongue ; whereas Solomon says, 
in silence the heart finds time to instruct the mouth 
and to accustom the tongue to guide itself according 
to the rule of meekness, prudence and Christian 
charity. 

How severely has your Saviour expiated these 
sins by His cruel scourging. Contemplate Him as 
He shudders and trembles at the pillar, while the 
soldiers push Him about and divest Him of His 
clothing. Behold Him naked in boundless anxiety 
and shame to do penance for our immodesty; the 
blows of the whips and the curses of the soldiers in- 
crease His pain beyond all measure. They beat 
Him until His most holy body becomes one wound, 
and looking upon His cruel executioners with eyes 
filled with blood He begs for mercy; but in vain. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 53 

Can you, O Christian soul, with your many sins, 
bear this pitiful look of your Saviour? 

LET US PRAY. 

" We beseech Thee, Almighty God, regard the 
prayers of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth 
in our defense the right hand of Thy majesty." 

O scourged God and Saviour, in humble con- 
trition for our sins, we thank Thee for the suffer- 
ings which Thou didst endure for us, through Thy 
awful scourging, and for the lesson Thou didst 
teach us through Thy miracle upon the dumb man. 
We beseech Thee for the grace to use our tongue 
always for the honor of Thy Father and for the 
benefit of our fellow-men, and to treat our body as 
the temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

20. MONDAY AFTER THE THIRD SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. Luke iv, 23-30. 
(Jesus in His Own City. — He is Crowned with Thorns.) 

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees : Doubt- 
less you will say to Me this similitude : Physician, 
heal Thyself : as great things as we have heard done 
in Capharnaum, do also here in Thy own country. 
And He said : Amen I say to you, that no prophet 



54 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

is accepted in his own country. In truth I say 
to you, there were many widows in the days of 
Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years 
and six months, when there was a great famine 
throughout all the earth. And to none of them was 
Elias sent, but to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow 
woman. And there were many lepers in Israel in 
the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them 
was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian. And all they 
in the synagogue, hearing these things, were filled 
with anger. And they rose up and thrust Him out 
of the city : and they brought Him to the brow of 
the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might 
cast Him down headlong. But He passing through 
the midst of them, went His way. 

What ill treatment the divine Physician of souls 
experiences in the city which He called with pre- 
dilection His own ! All His efforts were directed 
towards saving souls for eternal happiness and for 
God, their Creator. All His thoughts, all His 
speech, all His prayers, all His miracles had as their 
sole object the honor of God and the salvation of 
souls. And how did the favored inhabitants of 
Capharnaum appreciate these benefits ? " And they 
rose up and thrust Him out of the city: and they 
brought Him to the brow of the hill, — that they 
might cast Him down headlong." And a little later 
what is the conduct of the chosen people of God 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 55 

in Jerusalem, whom He loved, honored and blessed 
so much ? " Then the soldiers of the governor tak- 
ing Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto Him 
the whole band : and stripping Him, they put a scar- 
let cloak about Him. And platting a crown of 
thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in 
His right hand. And bowing the knee before Him, 
they mocked Him saying: Hail, King of the Jews. 
And spitting upon Him, they took the reed, and 
struck His head." 

Is it not true, O Christian soul, you were never 
so ungrateful towards your Saviour? But what do 
your sins of thought, your proud projects, your plans 
of vanity, of hatred, of revenge, of sensuality and 
of injustice testify ? For these your Redeemer paid 
so dearly as He beheld you standing before Him 
during His crowning with thorns. Physician, heal 
thyself; and humbly entreat your thorn-crowned 
Saviour for pardon and contrition, and for the nec- 
essary strength to keep your good resolutions. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Pour forth, in Thy mercy, we beseech Thee, 
O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that as we ab- 
stain from flesh, we may also rest in our senses 
from hurtful excesses." 

Through Thy blood which was shed in the crown- 
ing with thorns, grant, O Jesus, that we may purify 



56 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

our hearts from all stain of evil thoughts and desires, 
that we may never cast Thee out of our hearts by 
consenting to evil temptations, and that we may 
always consider it shameful to be effeminate and 
refractory members of a body whose head is crowned 
with thorns. Amen. 

21. TUESDAY AFTER THE THIRD SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. Matt, xviii, 15-22. 
(Brotherly Correction; and the " Ecce Homo.") 

At that time Jesus said to His disciples : If thy 
brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke 
him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear 
thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. And if he will 
not hear thee, take with thee one or two more : that 
in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word 
may stand. And if he will not hear them : tell the 
church. And if he will not hear the church, let 
him be to thee as the heathen and publican. Amen 
I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, 
shall be bound also in heaven : and whatsoever you 
shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. 
Again I say to you, that if two of you shall con- 
sent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever 
they shall ask, it shall be done to them by My Father 
Who is in heaven. For where there are two or 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 57 

three gathered together in My name, there am I in 
the midst of them. Then came Peter unto Him and 
said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend 
against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 
Jesus saith to him : I say not to thee, till seven times ; 
but till seventy times seven times. 

In this gospel, so rich in contents, Jesus speaks 
(1) of brotherly correction, (2) of the authority 
given to the apostles, (3) of the power of prayer, 
and (4) of reconciliation. Nothing seems to us 
harder to bear than a deserved correction. Such is 
the blindness of our self-love. Yet it is not only 
our duty, but it is always profitable and meritorious 
for us to receive or administer brotherly correction. 
However, it must be taken with humility and pa- 
tience, and it must be given with prudence, meek- 
ness and brotherly love. As in all things, so here, 
too, our divine Saviour is our best model. Never 
was a more severe correction and punishment given 
to sinners with greater patience, love, meekness and 
humility, than when Jesus, vested in His scarlet gar- 
ment of mockery, His sacred flesh lacerated by the 
scourge, His sacred head streaming with blood and 
bowed down beneath the crown of thorns, — lifted 
up His blood-filled eyes and gazed upon the surging 
mass of hateful, ungrateful Jews, while Pilate stand- 
ing near Him, uttered those reproachful words, 
" Behold the Man," " Ecce Homo" 



58 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

And you can look on silently when your fellow 
man gives scandal, when he disfigures the image of 
God in himself and in others. And you become 
angry when a sincere friend reminds you of your 
faults, and you can remain spiteful and unforgiv- 
ing. Humble yourself before the " Ecce Homo," 
and tremble before the judgment of an angry 
God. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Graciously hear us, O almighty and merciful 
God, and favorably grant us the gifts of whole- 
some self denial." 

Pain-laden Saviour, grant us the grace to ac- 
cept all deserved and undeserved corrections in Thy 
spirit of humility and patience : and give us also 
the grace to correct our brethren in the same loving 
manner as Thou didst correct them, when Thy sad 
picture of " Ecce Homo " seemed to say to all man- 
kind : This I have done for you, what will you do for 
me ? Amen. 

22. WEDNESDAY AFTER THE THIRD 
SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Matt, xv, 1-20. 

(The Reproaches of the Pharisees; The Condemnation 
of Jesus.) 

At that time there came to Jesus from Jerusalem 
scribes and Pharisees, saying : Why do Thy disciples 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 59 

transgress the traditions of the ancients? For they 
wash not their hands when they eat bread. But 
He answering, said to them : Why do you also trans- 
gress the commandment of God for your tradition? 
For God said: Honor thy father and mother; and 
He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the 
death. But you say : Whosoever shall say to father 
or mother, the gift whatsoever proceedeth from me, 
shall profit thee ; and he shall honor his father or his 
mother ; and you have made void the commandment 
of God for your tradition. Hypocrites, well hath 
Isaias prophesied of you, saying: This people hon- 
oreth Me with their lips : but their heart is far from 
Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching 
doctrines and commandments of men. And having 
called together the multitudes unto Him, He said 
to them : Hear ye and understand. Not that which 
goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what 
cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then 
came His disciples, and said to Him : Dost Thou 
know that the Pharisees, when they hear this word, 
were scandalized ? But He answering, said : Every 
plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted 
shall be rooted up. Let them alone : they are blind, 
and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead 
the blind, both fall into the pit. And Peter answer- 
ing, said to Him : Expound to us this parable. But 
He said : Are you also yet without understanding ? 



60 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Do you not understand, that whatsoever entereth 
into the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out 
into the privy? But the things which proceed out 
of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those 
things defile a man. For from the heart come forth 
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, 
thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are 
the things that defile a man. But to eat with un- 
washed hands doth not defile a man. 

How uncharitably and unjustly the Pharisees pass 
judgment on Jesus and His disciples ! Because they 
eat their bread without first washing their hands, as 
was customary with the Jews, the Pharisees accuse 
them of a crime; but no thought is given by the 
Pharisees to any violation of the ten commandments. 
They looked only to the exterior, and they neglected 
the interior. Similar is the conduct of Christians 
of our own day who adorn the graves of their rela- 
tives with expensive flowers and costly ornaments, 
but neglect to pray for the departed souls which are 
perhaps tormented by the fires of purgatory. 

Such is the worth, O Christian soul, of the judg- 
ment of men, the hypocrisy of the children of the 
world, who praise God with their lips, but not with 
their heart; they are blind and leaders of the blind. 
The fear of an earthly king outweighed in Pilate 
his fear of God. Contrary to his own conviction 
and his own sense of right and justice, Pilate con- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST' 61 

demns the innocent Saviour. But immediately Pi- 
late ordered the servant to bring a bowl of water 
with which he washed his hands before all the peo- 
ple, saying: " I am innocent of the blood of this just 
man: look you to it." And the whole people an- 
swering, said : " His blood be upon us, and upon our 
children." And Pilate gave sentence that it should 
be as they requested. " Then therefore he delivered 
Him to be crucified." — Terrible blindness, which 
chooses to please men rather than God, and which, 
on account of foolish human respect, drives souls 
into hell. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that, in- 
structed by wholesome fasting, and abstaining from 
dangerous vices, we may more easily obtain Thy 
favor." 

No, O innocently condemned Saviour, not the 
judgment of men, nor the fear of men shall direct 
us in our earthly career; but only the fear of Thy 
unalterable, eternal judgment, and the love of Thy 
holy and innocent Blood shall guide us, so that when 
it speaks, as St. Bernard says, with a voice like the 
sound of a trumpet on the last day, it may proclaim 
for us not damnation, but mercy and salvation. 
Amen. 



62 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

23. THURSDAY AFTER THE THIRD SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Luke iv, 38-44. 

(The Son of God Performs Miracles, and the Saviour car- 
ries His Cross.) 

At that time Jesus, rising up out of the synagogue, 
went into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's 
mother was taken with a great fever, and they be- 
sought Him for her. And standing over her, He 
commanded the fever, and it left her. And immedi- 
ately rising, she ministered to them. And when 
the sun was down, all they that had any sick with 
divers diseases brought them to Him. But He lay- 
ing His hands on every one of them, healed them. 
And devils went out from many, crying out and 
saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking 
them He suffered them not to speak, but they knew 
that He was Christ. And when it was day, going 
out He went into a desert place, and the multitudes 
sought Him : and they stayed Him that He should 
not depart from them. To whom He said : To other 
cities also I must preach the Kingdom of God : for 
therefore I am sent. And He was preaching in the 
synagogues of Galilee. 

How many miracles has our divine Saviour per- 
formed, and by them proven that He is the Son of 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 63 

God, the Redeemer of the world ! Even the devils 
cried out saying: "Thou art the Son of God." 
But this faith did not help them, nor will your faith 
help you, O Christian soul, if it be dead, and if you 
do not confess it in word and deed, and render it 
by good works fruitful in the love of God. The 
mother-in-law of Simon was suffering an attack of 
severe illness, and she confessed her faith by pa- 
tiently carrying her cross. And now they besought 
the Son of God for her. She became well, " and 
immediately rising, she ministered to them." She 
serves our Lord with equal fidelity in days of health 
and in" days of illness; and she confesses Him as the 
Son of God by her faith, in word and in deed. She 
confesses Him not only when witnessing His divine 
miracles, but also when " bearing His own cross he 
went forth to that place which is called Calvary," 
for the purpose of satisfying the offended God, and 
of redeeming the world by His cross. With what 
zeal, with what willingness does your Saviour take 
the cross upon His shoulders. Should not the re- 
membrance of your Saviour carrying the cross make 
it easier for you, in your sufferings and humilia- 
tions, when you are ill-treated and persecuted, to 
confess your faith in Him by patience and pious 
resignation, and to give an edifying example in time 
of illness as well as in days of health? 



64 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

LET US PRAY 

" May Thy heavenly favor increase the number 
of Thy devoted people, O Lord, we beseech Thee, 
and make them ever servants of Thy command- 
ments." 

Divine Saviour how hard it is for us to perceive 
our own misery. When our body is ill, we use 
every means to recover our health. But how little 
fear and anxiety do we show when our soul is af- 
flicted with the disease of impatience, of pride, of 
sensuality, and of every form of sin. By Thy pain- 
ful carrying of the cross, help us faithfully to con- 
fess Thy divinity by prayer and good works, whether 
we are in sickness or in health. Amen. 

24. FRIDAY AFTER THE THIRD SUNDAY 
OF LENT 

Gospel. St. John iv, 5-42. 
(Jesus at Jacob's Well. The First Fall Under the Cross.) 

At that time Jesus came to a city of Samaria 
which is called Sichai; near the land which Jacob 
gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was 
there. Jesus therefore being wearied with His 
journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the 
sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria 
to draw water. Jesus saith to her; Give Me to 
drink. For His disciples were gone into the city to 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 65 

buy meats. Then that Samaritan woman saith to 
Him: How dost Thou, being a Jew, ask of me to 
drink who am a Samaritan woman ? For the Jews 
do not communicate with the Samaritans, Jesus 
answered and said to her: If thou didst know the 
gift of God, and Who He is that saith to thee, Give 
Me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of 
Him, and He would have given thee living water. 
The woman saith to Him : Sir, Thou hast nothing 
wherein to draw, and the well is deep : from whence 
then hast Thou living water? Art Thou greater 
than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and 
drank thereof himself, and his children, and his 
cattle? Jesus answered, and said to her: Whoso- 
ever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but 
he that shall drink of the water that I will give him 
shall not thirst forever : but the water that I will 
give him shall become in him a fountain of water 
springing up into life everlasting. The woman 
saith to Him : Sir, give me this water, that I may 
not thirst, nor come hither to draw. Jesus saith 
to her : Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The 
woman answered, and said : I have no husband. 
Jesus said to her: Thou hast said well, I have no 
husband : for thou hast had five husbands : and he 
whom thou now hast is not thy husband. This 
thou hast said truly. The woman saith to him : 
Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our 



66 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

fathers adored on this mountain, and you say that 
at Jerusalem is the place where men must adore. 
Jesus saith to her: Woman, believe Me, that the 
hour cometh when you shall neither on this moun- 
tain nor in Jerusalem adore the Father. You adore 
that which you know not ; we adore that which we 
know; for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour 
cometh, and now is, when the true adorers shall 
adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the 
Father also seeketh such to adore Him. God is a 
spirit, and they that adore Him must adore Him 
in spirit and in truth. The woman saith to Him : 
I know that the Messias cometh (Who is called 
Christ) : therefore when He is come, He will tell 
us all things. Jesus saith to her : I am He Who 
am speaking with thee. And immediately His dis- 
ciples came : and they wondered that He talked with 
the woman. Yet no man said : What seekest Thou, 
or why talkest Thou with her ? The woman there- 
fore left her water-pot, and went her way into the 
city, and saith to the men there : Come, and see a 
man Who has told me all things whatsoever I have 
done. Is not He the Christ? They went there- 
fore out of the city, and came unto Him. In the 
meantime the disciples prayed Him, saying: Rabbi, 
eat. But He said to them : I have meat to eat which 
you know not. The disciples therefore said one 
to another: Hath any man brought Him to eat? 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 67 

Jesus saith to them: My meat is to do the will of 
Him that sent Me, that I may perfect His work. 
Do not you say, there are yet four months, and then 
the harvest cometh? Behold I say to you, lift up 
your eyes, and see the countries, for they are white 
already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth 
wages, and gathered fruit into life everlasting: that 
both he that soweth and he that reapeth may re- 
joice together. For in this is the saying true : that 
it is one man that soweth, and it is another that 
reapeth. I have sent you to reap that in which 
you did not labor : others have labored, and you have 
entered into their labors. Now of that city many 
of the Samaritans believed in Him, for the word 
of the woman giving testimony : He told me all 
things whatsoever I have done. So when the 
Samaritans were come to Him, they desired Him 
that He would tarry there. And He abode there 
two days. And many more believed in Him because 
of His own word. And they said to the woman: 
We now believe, not for thy saying: for we our- 
selves have heard Flim, and know that this is in- 
deed the Saviour of the world. 

This is a beautiful gospel, O Christian soul, from 
which you may learn the zeal of Jesus in winning 
souls for His heavenly Father, the attempts of sin- 
ful souls to oppose our Saviour and the meekness 
of our Redeemer in bearing with the frailties of men. 



68 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Admire the same zeal and the same meekness in 
your Reedemer, when you behold Him, laden with 
a heavy cross, enfeebled by an enormous loss of 
blood caused by the scourging and crowning with 
thorns, proceeding on that painful journey to Mt. 
Calvary and when you behold Him fall for the first 
time beneath the cross. Imitate His zeal, have pa- 
tience with the frailties and failures of your fellow- 
men so that God may be merciful to you. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Look down on our fasts, we beseech Thee, O 
Lord, with merciful favor, that as we abstain from 
food in body, so we may fast from vice in mind," 
and that, by Thy first fall under the cross, we may 
be preserved from falling into grievous sin. Amen. 

25. SATURDAY AFTER THE THIRD SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. John viii, i-ii. 
(The Adulteress, and the Afflicted Mother.; 

At that time: Jesus went unto Mount Olivet. 
And early in the morning He came again into the 
temple, and all the people came to Him, and sitting 
down He taught them. And the scribes and Phari- 
sees bring unto Him a woman taken in adultery ) 
and they set her in the midst. And said to Him: 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 69 

Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. 
Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such 
a one. But what sayest Thou ? And this they said 
tempting Him that they might accuse Him. But 
Jesus bowing Himself down, wrote with His finger 
on the ground: when therefore they continued ask- 
ing Him, He lifted up Himself, and said to them: 
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast 
a stone at her. And again stooping down, He wrote 
on the ground. But they hearing this went out one 
by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone 
remained, and the woman standing in the midst. 
Then Jesus lifting up Himself, said to her : Woman, 
where are they that accuse thee? Hath no man 
condemned thee ? Who said : No man, Lord. And 
Jesus said : Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and 
now sin no more. 

Although our divine Saviour hates sin, and 
especially the sin of impurity, still He has compas- 
sion on this sinner who was guilty of death. The 
reason is because He knows that the law of God, 
though it is deeply inscribed in our hearts, may, by 
our frailty and remissness be as easily effaced as 
letters written in sand. Therefore He puts to shame 
the inconsiderate accusers : He does not condemn 
the poor sinful woman ; He only tells her : Go, and 
now sin no more. 

The afflicted mother of Jesus imitates her di- 



•jo THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

vine Son. After the unjust condemnation of Jesus, 
she had followed Him to many of the places hal- 
lowed by His passion and suffered with Him all 
the pain that He endured for the sins and the in- 
gratitude of men. But when the gathering of the 
people, the march of the soldiers, and the clamor 
of the Jews announced that the way of the cross 
had begun, Mary could no longer suppress her desire 
to see her divine Son. Praying and wringing her 
hands with the grief of a mother's heart, she con- 
strained herself to look upon her Jesus; but, over- 
whelmed with grief she became pale as a corpse, 
when He turned upon her those eyes suffused with 
blood yet still beaming with pity and sympathy from 
beneath His crown of thorns. Mary saw not the 
soldiers, nor the executioners, nor the ungrateful, 
scoffing people ; she saw only her beloved, ill-treated, 
meek and patient Son, and she experienced what the 
prophecy of Simeon had foretold : " Thy own soul, 
a sword shall penetrate." She does not condemn 
us guilty sinners, but she entreats Jesus for us, say- 
ing: " Lord be merciful unto them; they are indeed 
sinners, but they are Thy children and my children." 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that 
they who, to mortify their flesh, abstain from food, 
may by following justice, abstain from sin." 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 71 

O Mary, the afflicted mother of God, by the com- 
passion which Thy Son displayed for poor sinners 
and by thy grief and pain in the sad meeting on the 
way of the cross, obtain for us the grace to be con- 
siderate and merciful toward our unfortunate fel- 
low-beings, that, in life and death, we may become 
partakers of the mercy of Jesus, and of thy loving 
intercession and powerful protection. Amen. 

26. FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. John vr, 1-15. 

(The Multiplication of the Loaves. Simon of Cyrene.) 

At that time Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, 
which is that of Tiberias : and a great multitude 
followed Him, because they saw the miracles which 
He did on them that were diseased. Jesus there- 
fore went up into a mountain: and there He sat 
with His disciples. Now, the Pasch, the festival 
day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus 
therefore had lifted up His eyes and seen that a 
very great multitude cometh to Him, Fie said to 
Philip : Whence shall we buy bread that these may 
eat ? And this He said to try him, for He Himself 
knew what He would do. Philip answered Him: 
Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient 
for them, that everyone may take a little. One of 
His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, 



72 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

saith to Him : There is a boy here that hath five 
barley loaves, and two fishes : but what are these 
among so many ? Then Jesus said : Make the men 
sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. 
The men therefore sat down, in number about five 
thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when 
He had given thanks, He distributed to them that 
sat down; in like manner also of the fishes as much 
as they would. And when they were filled, He said 
to His disciples : Gather up the fragments that re- 
main, lest they be lost. They gathered up there- 
fore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments 
of the five barley loaves, which remained over and 
above to them that had eaten. Now those men, 
when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, 
said : This is of a truth the prophet that is to come 
into the world. Jesus therefore, when He knew that 
they would come to take Him by force and make 
Him king, fled again into the mountain Himself 
alone. 

How great is the love and the providence of God, 
how strikingly manifested in this holy gospel ! With 
exceeding kindness Jesus permitted the large multi- 
tude to follow Him, and He would not suffer them 
to depart till He had satisfied the hunger of the five 
thousand people. But when they were satiated and 
had an abundance left over, they desired to make 
Him their king. After a short while they lead their 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 73 

king to the cross, and there is no one who is willing 
to help Him carry that cross, " And as they led 
Him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, 
coming from the country : and they laid the cross 
on him to carry after Jesus." And thus there was 
not one of the multitude that accompanied Him 
from curiosity or sympathy, not one of the many 
whom He had cured miraculously, upon whom He 
had lavished so many favors, — and these people in 
their hearts knew that He was the Messias and the 
true son of God — yet there was not one who was 
willing to help Jesus carry the cross. O fortunate 
Simon, though forced, you overcome human respect, 
and you are inspired to carry the cross of Jesus 
as one of His true disciples. For this act you and 
your children receive the most glorious reward, the 
gift of the true faith, and of life everlasting. — 
Christian soul, what should you learn for your own 
salvation from the five thousand whose hunger was 
satisfied, and from the conduct of Simon, the 
Cyrenian ? 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that 
we, who are afflicted for our deeds as we deserve, 
may be relieved by the comfort of Thy grace." 

" In Thee, O Cross of Jesus Christ, is eternal 
salvation; in Thee is life and protection against our 
enemies; in Thee is the source of heavenly sweet- 



74 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

ness, the essence of all virtues, the consummation of 
all holiness." Help us, O Jesus, to take with Simon 
the cross upon our shoulders, and faithfully to carry 
it after Thee, so that, through the grace of Thy 
cross, we may be nourished in life, and, after death, 
rise again unto eternal joy. Amen. 

27. MONDAY AFTER THE FOURTH SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. John ii, 13-25. 
(Clearing of the Temple. Veronica's Towel.) 

At that time : the Pasch of the Jews was at hand, 
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found 
in the temple them that sold oxen and sheep, and 
doves, and the changers of money sitting. And 
when He had made, as it were, a scourge of little 
cords, He drove them all out of the temple, the 
sheep also, and the oxen, and the money of the 
changers He poured out, and the tables He over- 
threw. And to them that sold doves He said : Take 
these things hence, and make not the house of My 
Father a house of traffic. And His disciples re- 
membered that it was written : The zeal of thy 
house hath eaten me up. The Jews therefore an- 
swered, and said to Him : What sign dost Thou 
show unto us, seeing Thou dost these things? 
Jesus answered, and said to them : Destroy this tern- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 75 

pie, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews 
then said: Six and forty years was this temple in 
building, and wilt Thou raise it up in three days? 
But He spoke of the temple of His body. When 
therefore He was risen again from the dead, His 
disciples remembered that He had said this, and they 
believed the Scripture, and the word that Jesus had 
said. Now when He was at Jerusalem at the 
Pasch, upon the festival day, many believed in His 
name, seeing His signs which He did. But Jesus 
did not trust Himself unto them, for that He knew 
all men, and because He needed not that any should 
give testimony of man : for He knew what was in 
man. 

Consider, O Christian soul, how severely our 
Lord punishes the irreverence that was committed 
in His house. He treated very mildly persons that 
had sinned in other respects. Think of Magdalene, 
the adulteress; and Peter who denied Him. But 
with a scourge Pie punishes those that desecrate His 
temple. By his impious behavior, the irreverent per- 
son, so to say, strikes God in the face ; whereas the 
devout worshipper, by his reverence and devotion de- 
lights the countenance of God, procures for himself 
the divine favor, edifies his neighbor and encourages 
him to do good. How then will God punish the 
giver of scandal, — who dishonors and profanes the 
temple of an immortal soul, — the temple which has 



7 6 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

been consecrated by the precious body and blood of 
Jesus Christ. 

With what love and reverence do the holy women 
accompany Jesus on His way to Mt. Calvary, and 
how richly does He reward them. With what joy 
did the rich and illustrious Seraphia (who from 
that on was called Veronica, that is " true image ") 
fill her afflicted Saviour, as she forced her way 
through the rough crowd, and falling down before 
her Saviour, Whose face was covered with sweat 
and blood, presented Him with a towel upon which 
she received, as a reward, the impress of His bloody 
and thorn-crowned head. 

Strive, O Christian soul, that the countenance of 
Jesus may always look upon you graciously when 
you adoringly kneel before It in the house of God, 
and that you may be a source of joy to God and 
a source of edification to your neighbor by your 
reverent behavior in church. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that, 
keeping with devotion the sacred annual observ- 
ances, we may please Thee both in body and mind." 

O Jesus, how often have we offended Thee by 
transgressing the first, second and third command- 
ments? And how often, from the days of our 
childhood, have we deserved Thy severe punish- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST yy 

ment for our irreverence in Thy house, and for 
our profanation of the temple of our soul. We 
sincerely repent of these sins, and we beseech Thee, 
by the reverent sympathy of Veronica, to cancel 
these sins and to enlighten our soul by the merciful 
grace of Thy sacred countenance. Amen. 



28. TUESDAY AFTER THE FOURTH SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. John vii, 14-31. 

(The Teaching and Honor of Jesus. His Second Fall under 
the Cross.) 

At that time : About the midst of the feast, Jesus 
went up into the temple, and taught. And the 
Jews wondered, saying: How doth this man know 
letters, having never learned? Jesus answered 
them and said : My doctrine is not Mine, but His 
that sent Me. If any man will do the will of Him : 
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of 
God, or whether I speak of Myself. He that speak- 
eth of himself, seeketh his own glory: but he that 
seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true, 
and there is no injustice in him. Did not Moses give 
you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? 
Why seek you to kill Me ? The multitude answered, 
and said : Thou hast a devil ; who seeketh to kill 
Thee? Jesus answered and said to them: One 



78 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

work I have done; and you all wonder: therefore 
Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is of 
Moses, but of the fathers) ; and on the Sabbath-day 
you circumcise a man. If a man receive circum- 
cision on the Sabbath-day, that the law of Moses 
may not be broken; are you angry with Me be- 
cause I have healed the whole man on the Sabbath- 
day? Judge not according to the appearance, but 
judge just judgment. Some therefore of Jeru- 
salem said : Is not this He Whom they seek to kill ? 
Have the rulers known for a truth that this is the 
Christ? But we know this man whence He is. 
Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching 
and saying: You both know Me, and you know 
whence I am: and I am not come of myself; but 
He that sent Me is true, Whom you know not. I 
know Him, because I am from Him, and He hath 
sent Me. They sought therefore to apprehend 
Him: and no man laid hands on Him, because 
His hour was not yet come. But of the people 
many believed in Him. 

How grand and inspiring is the teaching of 
Jesus ! But excellent as it is, His teaching con- 
sists chiefly in this that we do the will of God by 
the faithful observance of the divine command- 
ments and of the precepts of the Church, which is 
the representative of Jesus Christ on earth; and 
that we cheerfully perform the particular duties of 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 79 

our state of life. Therein lies our true honor be- 
fore God. All other honor that is not accompanied 
by the pleasure of God and is not directed towards 
the honor of God, is no true honor at all. It rests 
merely on appearances and on the unfair judgment 
of men; wherefore St. Augustine says: "Many 
are highly honored in this world who are burning 
with reproaches in hell." Therefore is patience 
in suffering for God greater than all joys without 
God; humiliation borne for God's sake is greater 
than all honor without God; shame endured for 
God is greater than all the vain exaltation of the 
world; poverty with God is greater than wealth 
without God. 

As we are poor, weak men, and even the just 
fall seven times, Jesus, our divine Teacher, wished 
to fall for the second time beneath the cross 
to encourage us in practising His doctrines and to 
prevent us from forgetting His honor. Coming to 
a large stone on the road leading up to Mt. Cal- 
vary, Jesus felt that He was unable to pass it. But 
the soldiers mercilessly dragged and drove Him on 
till He fell beneath the cross; nevertheless with 
supernatural strength He rose again and pressed 
on His way. Reflect on this, O Christian soul, 
when you are inclined to be despondent after fall- 
ing into sin. 



80 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

LET US PRAY. 

" We beseech Thee, O Lord, that the fasts of 
this holy observance may procure us an increase of 
piety in our lives, and the continual help of Thy 
mercy." 

O Jesus, through Thy second fall beneath the 
cross, permit us not to forget Thy holy teaching; 
and grant that, on our way of the cross unto eter- 
nity, we may always, by word and deed, seek to 
promote Thy honor which is also our only true 
honor. Amen. 

29. WEDNESDAY AFTER THE FOURTH 

SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. John ix, 1-38. 

(The Man Born Blind. The Women of Jerusalem.) 

At that time : Jesus passing by, saw a man who 
was blind from his birth: and His disciples asked 
Him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man or his 
parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus an- 
swered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his 
parents; but that the works of God should be made 
manifest in him. I must do the works of Him< 
that sent Me, whilst it is day: the night cometh 
when no man can work. As long as I am in the 
world, I am the light of the world. When He 
had said these things, He spat on the ground, and 
made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay upon 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 81 

his eyes, and said to him : Go, wash in the pool of 
Siloe, which is interpreted, Sent. He went there- 
fore, and washed, and he came seeing. The neigh- 
bors therefore, and they who had seen him before 
that he was a beggar, said: Is not this he that 
sat and begged ? Some said : This is he. But 
others said: No, but he is like him. But he 
said: I am he. They said therefore to him: 
How were thy eyes opened ? He answered : 
That man that is called Jesus, made clay, and 
anointed my eyes, and said to me : Go to the pool 
of Siloe, and wash. And I went, I washed, and 
I see. And they said to him: Where is He? He 
saith, I know not. They bring him that had been 
blind to the Pharisees. Now it was the sabbath 
when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 
Again therefore the Pharisees asked him how he 
had received his sight. But he said to them: He 
put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see. 
Some therefore of the Pharisees said: This man 
is not of God, Who keepeth not the sabbath. But 
others said : How can a man that is a sinner do 
such miracles? And there was a division among 
them. They say therefore to the blind man 
again : What sayest thou of him that hath opened 
thy eyes? And he said: He is a prophet. The 
Jews then did not believe concerning him, that he 
had been blind and had received his sight, until 
they called the parents of him that had received 



82 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

his sight, and asked them, saying: Is this your 
son, who you say was born blind? How then 
doth he now see ? His parents answered them, and 
said : We know that this is our son, and that he was 
born blind ; but how he now seeth, we know not ; or 
who hath opened his eyes, we know not ; ask himself ; 
he is of age, let him speak for himself. These things 
his parents said, because they feared the Jews; for 
the Jews had already agreed among themselves, 
that if any man should confess Him to be Christ 
he should be put out of the Synagogue. There- 
fore did his parents say: He is of age, ask him. 
They therefore asked the man again that had been 
blind, and said to him: Give glory to God. We 
know that this man is a sinner. He said there- 
fore to them: If He be a sinner, I know not: One 
thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. 
They said then to him : What did He do to thee ? 
How did He open thy eyes? He answered 
them : I have told you already, and you have heard : 
why would you hear it again? will you also be- 
come His disciples? They reviled him therefore, 
and said : Be thou His disciple ; but we are the dis- 
ciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to 
Moses: but as to this man, we know not from 
whence He is. The man answered, and said to 
them: Why herein is a wonderful thing that you 
know not from whence He is, and He hath opened 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 83 

my eyes. Now we know that God doth not hear 
sinners : but if a man be a server of God, and doth 
His will, him He heareth. From the beginning of 
the world it hath not been heard, that any man 
hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless 
this man were of God He could not do anything. 
They answered and said to him : Thou wast 
wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us ? And 
they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast 
him out: and when He had found him, He said 
to Him : Dost thou believe in the Son of God? He 
answered and said : Who is He, Lord, that I may 
believe in Him? And Jesus said to him: Thou 
hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with 
thee. And he said : I believe, O Lord. And fall- 
ing down he adored Him. 

Behold, O Christian soul, Jesus spreads clay 
upon the eyes of this man born blind to teach you 
how worthless and corrupt is your nature, and that 
the transitory things of this world, which you love 
so much, are only dust and ashes. Further He 
commanded the blind man to wash himself in the 
pool of Siloe. The holy Church likewise com- 
mands you to cleanse your soul by making a good 
confession and by the practice of virtue; and after 
receiving your Easter Communion, she expects you 
to adhere more closely to your Saviour. Otherwise 
you might fall into the deplorable condition in 



84 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

which, like the obstinate Jews described in this gos- 
pel, you neither could nor would any longer believe. 
In the course of His bitter passion, " there fol- 
lowed Him a great multitude of people, and of 
women who bewailed and lamented Him. And 
Jesus, turning to them, said: Daughters of Jeru- 
salem, weep not over Me, but weep for yourselves, 
and for your children." Why? In order to pre- 
pare themselves for the fearful judgment which 
was to be inflicted upon Jerusalem, and to endeavor 
by penance and contrition to render the punish- 
ment salutary for themselves and their children. 
You, too, O Christian soul, should be mindful of 
the judgment of God, and live accordingly. 

LET US PRAY. 

" O God, Who granted to the just the reward 
of their merits, and to sinners pardon, by means of 
fasting, have mercy on us suppliants, that the con- 
fession of our guilt may enable us to receive the 
forgiveness of our sins." 

As thou, O Divine Saviour, didst give sight to the 
man born blind, so open the eyes of our soul that we, 
like the holy women of Jerusalem may obtain the 
grace of knowing ourselves and that, by Thy bitter 
passion together with our penance and contrition, 
we may receive the forgiveness of our sins and 
remission of the punishment due to them. Amen. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 85 

30. THURSDAY AFTER THE FOURTH 

SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. Luke vii, 11-16. 

(The Dead Son of the Widow. The Third Fall of Jesus.) 

At that time Jesus went into a city that is called 
Nairn ; and there went with Him His disciples, and 
a great multitude. And when He came nigh to 
the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried 
out, the only son of his mother; and she was a 
widow : and a great multitude of the city was with 
her. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved 
with mercy towards her, He said to her : Weep not. 
And He came near, and touched the bier. And 
they that carried it stood still. And He said: 
Young man, I say to thee, arise. And he that was 
dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave 
him to his mother. And there came a fear on them 
all : and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet 
is risen up among us : and, God hath visited His 
people. 

Christian soul, our divine Saviour did not per- 
mit the youth of Nairn to remain dead, but to the 
unspeakable joy of his mother, a widow, Jesus 
raised him to life. 

Yes, Christ Himself did not remain in the grave, 
but on the third day He rose again. 

Previous to His resurrection, in His bitter pas- 



86 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

sion, He fell for the third time beneath the heavy 
weight of the cross. But He did not remain where 
He had fallen. He summoned all His strength and 
carried the cross to the foot of Mt. Calvary. By 
all this our beloved Saviour wished to teach us not 
to remain prostrate when we have fallen into sin, 
but with God's help to rise as quickly as possible 
and to stand firm. Otherwise the inclination and 
love for sin will grow stronger, relapses will be 
more frequent, horror for evil will lessen, and true 
contrition and improvement will become more dif- 
ficult. 

O Christian soul, beg God for the grace to rise 
from your daily sins and even from your smaller 
faults, and not to fall again into them; and pray 
for those especially who postpone their conversion 
from day to day. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, 
who are chastised by the fasts we have undertaken, 
may rejoice with holy devotion; to the end that 
our earthly affections being suppressed, we may 
more easily apprehend heavenly things." 

Divine Saviour, Jesus Christ, we admire Thee 
as much in Thy sorrow, humility and debasement 
in Thy third fall beneath the cross as in the miracle 
which Thou didst work in raising to life the dead 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 87 

youth of Nairn. Give us the grace never to fall 
into the death of mortal sin ; and, if we should incur 
this misfortune by our foolishness and wickedness, 
grant that, with Thy grace, we may soon rise again 
by penance and true contrition. Amen. 

31. FRIDAY AFTER THE FOURTH SUN- 
DAY OF LENT 
Gospel. St. John xi, 1-45. 
(Lazarus in the Grave. Jesus is Stripped of His Garments.) 

At that time : There was a certain man sick 
named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary 
and of Martha her sister. (And Mary was she 
that anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped 
His feet with her hair : whose brother Lazarus was 
sick.) His sisters therefore sent to Him, saying: 
Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick. Jesus 
hearing it, said to them: This sickness is not unto 
death, but for the glory of God : that the Son of 
God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved 
Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. When 
He had heard therefore that he was sick, He still 
remained in the same place two days : then after 
that He said to His disciples : Let us go into Ju- 
dea again. The disciples say, to Him: Rabbi, the 
Jews but now sought to stone Thee: and goest 
Thou thither again? Jesus answered: Are there 



88 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the 
day, he stumbleth not, because he has the light of 
the world : but if he walk in the night, he stumbleth, 
because the light is not in him. These things He 
said ; and after that He said to them : Lazareth, 
our friend, sleepeth : but I go that I may awake him 
out of the sleep. His disciples therefore said : 
Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. But Jesus 
spoke of his death ; and they thought that He spoke 
of the repose of sleep. Then therefore Jesus said 
to them plainly: Lazarus is dead; and I am glad 
for your sake, that I was not there, that you may 
believe: but let us go to him. Thomas therefore, 
who is called Didymus, said to his fellow-disciples : 
Let us also go that we may die with Him. Jesus 
therefore came and found that he had been four 
days already in the grave. (Now Bethania was 
near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.) And 
many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, 
to comfort them concerning their brother. Martha 
therefore, as soon as she heard that Jesus was come, 
went to meet Llim : but Mary sat at home. Martha 
therefore said to Jesus: Lord, If Thou hadst been 
here, my brother had not died. But now also I 
know that whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God 
will give it Thee. Jesus saith to her : Thy 
brother shall rise again. Martha saith to Him : 
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 89 

at the last day. Jesus said to her : I am the resur- 
rection and the life: he that believeth in Me al- 
though he be dead, shall live: and every one that 
liveth and believeth in Me, shall not die forever. 
Believest thou this? She saith to Him: Yea, 
Lord, I have believed that Thou art Christ the 
Son of the living God, who art come into this 
world. And when she had said these things, she 
went, and called her sister Mary secretly, saying: 
The Master is home and calleth for thee. She, 
as soon as she heard this, riseth quickly and cometh 
to Him. For Jesus was not yet come into the 
town: but He was still in that place where Martha 
had met Him. The Jews therefore, who were with 
her in the house and comforted her, when they saw 
Mary that she rose up speedily and went out, fol- 
lowed her, saying: She goeth to the grave to weep 
there. When Mary therefore was come where 
Jesus was, seeing Him, she fell down at His feet, 
and saith to Him: Lord, if Thou hadst been here, 
my brother had not died. Jesus therefore, when 
He saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come 
with her weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled 
Himself, and said: Where have you laid him? 
They said to Him: Lord, come and see. And 
Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said : Behold how 
He loved him. But some of them said : Could 
not He that opened the eyes of the man born 



go THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

blind, have caused that this man should not die? 
Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh 
to the sepulchre: Now it was a cave; and a stone 
was laid over it. Jesus saith : Take away the stone. 
Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to 
Him : Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now 
of four days. Jesus saith to her: Did not I say 
to thee, that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory 
of God? They took therefore the stone away. 
And Jesus lifting up His eyes said: Father, I give 
Thee thanks that Thou hast heard me. And I 
knew that Thou hearest Me always, but because of 
the people who stand about have I said it: that 
they may believe that Thou hast sent Me. When 
He had said these things, He cried with a loud 
voice : Lazarus come forth. And presently he that 
had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands 
with winding bands, and his face was bound about 
with a napkin. Jesus said to them : Loose him and 
let him go. Many therefore of the Jews who were 
come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things 
that Jesus said, believed in Him. 

Consider, O Christian soul, that our Lord per- 
mits His friend Lazarus to become sick, to die 
and to be deprived of all that he had on earth, 
all but his shroud. Before His own death, Jesus 
permitted Himself to be stripped even of oil His 
clothes. Learn from this to detach yourself from 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 91 

all the useless and harmful things of which death 
can rob you. By a worthy confession, purify your 
soul from every sin, so that your Saviour will not 
be troubled over you, and that He will not need 
to weep over the misfortune that would befall you, 
if He could not awaken you to a glorious resur- 
rection. 

LET US PRAY. 

" O God, Who renewest the world by ineffable 
mysteries, grant we beseech Thee, that Thy 
Church may profit by Thy eternal precepts and 
may never be destitute of Thy temporal assistance; 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy divine Son, 
who wrought so many miracles and Who was so 
shamefully stripped of His garments. Amen." 

32. SATURDAY AFTER THE FOURTH 

SUNDAY OF LENT 

Gospel. St. John viii, 12-20. 

(The Testimony of the Light. The Crucifixion of the 
Redeemer.) 

At that time : Jesus spoke to the multitude of the 
Jews, saying: I am the light of the world: he that 
followeth Me, walketh not in darkness, but shall 
have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said 
to Him: Thou givest testimony of Thyself: Thy 
testimony is not true. Jesus answered, and said to 



92 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

them: Although I give testimony of Myself, My 
testimony is true: for I know whence I came or 
whither I go. You judge according to the flesh: 
I judge not any man. And if I do judge, My judg- 
ment is true; because I am not alone, but I and 
the Father that sent Me. And in your law it is 
written, that the testimony of two men is true. 
I am one that give testimony of Myself: and the 
Father that sent Me, giveth testimony of Me. 
They said therefore to Him: Where is Thy Father? 
Jesus answered : Neither Me do you know, nor My 
Father : If you did know Me, perhaps you would 
know My Father also. These words Jesus spoke 
in the treasury, teaching in the temple : and no man 
laid hands on Him, because Flis hour was not yet 
come. 

Christian soul, Jesus declares Himself clearly and 
distinctly to be the Light of the world, the Wit- 
ness of the Father and the just Judge. But the 
Jews did not believe in Him : the only effect on 
them of His teaching was : " No man laid hands on 
Him " ; not because they did not wish to do so, 
but " because His hour was not yet come." But 
the hour came, that hour of horror and terror, con- 
cerning which the Scripture says : " And it was the 
third hour, and they crucified Him." 

His right hand was pierced with a nail to ex- 
piate the sins which men commit with their hands 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 93 

by robbery and theft, by fraud and injustice, by 
blows and ill-treatment, by sinful and immodest 
touches. 

His left hand was pierced with a nail to expiate 
the sins of negligence and omission, remissness in 
prayer, retaining of ill-gotten goods, neglect of 
good works. 

What pain was experienced by the humble and 
patient Redeemer, when His right foot was pene- 
trated by a nail and He thereby expiated all the 
sinful steps made by men from motives of vanity, 
lust, pride and disobedience, — steps leading to oc- 
casions of sin, to dangerous places, to bad company. 
When they pierced His left foot, how severely did 
He suffer for our carelessness in attending divine 
worship, and our indifference in helping those that 
are in need. 

Entreat Almighty God, O Christian Soul, that 
He may pardon the sins of your hands and feet; 
that Jesus, the light of the world, may guide all 
your steps and actions. Pray to your crucified 
Saviour for those who are wandering along dan- 
gerous paths, and for those who are unwilling to 
perform their Easter duty. 

LET US PRAY. 

" May our devotion be made fruitful by Thy 
grace, we beseech Thee, O Lord, for the fasts we 



94 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

have undertaken will become profitable to us only 
if they are pleasing to Thy clemency." 

O Crucified and Loving Saviour, by the merits 
of Thy unspeakable pains in the crucifixion, pardon 
our sins, and direct our steps in the path of virtue 
and justice. Amen. 



33. PASSION SUNDAY 

Gospel. St. John viii, 46-59. 

(The Hidden Saviour. Jesus is raised on the Cross.) 

At that time Jesus said to the multitude of the 
Jews: Which of you shall convince Me of sin? If 
I say the truth to you, why do you not believe Me ? 
He that is of God heareth the words of God. 
Therefore you hear them not because you are not of 
God. The Jews therefore answered, and said to 
Him : Do not we say well that Thou art a Samaritan, 
and hast a devil ? Jesus answered : I have not a 
devil: but I honor My Father, and you have dis- 
honored Me. But I seek not My own glory : there 
is one that seeketh and judgeth. Amen, amen, I 
say to you : If any man keep My word, he shall not 
see death forever. The Jews therefore said : Now 
we know that Thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, 
and the prophets: and Thou sayest : If any man 
keep My word, he shall not taste death forever. 
Art Thou greater than our father Abraham, who 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 95 

is dead ? And the prophets are dead. Whom dost 
Thou make Thyself? Jesus answered: If I glorify 
Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father that 
glorineth Me, of Whom you say that He is your 
God. And you have not known Him, but I know 
Him. And if I say that I know Him not, I shall be 
like to you, a liar. But I do know Him, and do 
keep His word. Abraham, your father, rejoiced 
that he might see My day. He saw it and was 
glad. The Jews therefore said to Him: Thou art 
not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abra- 
ham ? Jesus said to them : Amen, amen, I say to 
you, before Abraham was made, I am. They took 
up stones therefore to cast at Him. But Jesus hid 
Himself, and went out of the temple. 

Beginning with to-day the crucifixes are veiled 
with the violet color of penance. The holy season 
of Lent is approaching its end, and the Church 
busies herself and the hearts of her children with 
deeper meditation on the bitter passion and death 
of her divine Spouse. 

Although your Saviour hides Himself from the 
obstinate Jews, and the image of the Crucified is 
veiled to our bodily sight, still you should represent 
to your soul all the more vividly your Redeemer, 
Jesus Christ, as He is raised upon the cross. There 
hangs, O Christian soul, the High-priest and Media- 
tor, who has reconciled the offended Deity with sin- 



96 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

ful mankind. It is the loving, pain-laden Redeemer, 
who freed you from the guilt and eternal punish- 
ment of sin. On the holy cross hangs the power- 
ful God who has drawn to Himself you and the 
whole world, while He allows all to participate in 
His sufferings and also in the fruit of His bitter 
passion. Christian soul, in your suffering look at 
His bitter passion; in your poverty look at His 
privations; in your desolation look at His derelic- 
tion; in your persecutions, look at His cross and 
partake of its fruits in holy Mass and in the sacra- 
ments. Then your redeemer will not hide Himself 
from you, and you will not see death for all eternity. 

LET US PRAY. 

"We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully 
look down upon Thy family, and grant that by Thy 
bounty it may be ever guided and protected both in 
body and soul." 

Crucified God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we 
prostrate ourselves in spirit before Thy holy cross, 
and adore and thank Thee ; for through Thy holy 
cross thou hast redeemed the world. On the wood 
of shame, raised between heaven and earth, Thou 
hast reconciled God with man, Thou hast erased the 
hand-writing of the condemnation which was threat- 
ening us; Thou hast taken it away and attached it 
to the cross. Praise and thanksgiving be to Thee 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 97 

forever more. May Thy holy cross and passion 
not be lost for us poor sinners. Amen. 

34. MONDAY AFTER PASSION SUNDAY 

Gospel. St. John vii, 32-39. 

(The Last Teaching of Jesus. The Thief on the Left.) 

At that time: The rulers and Pharisees sent 
ministers to apprehend Jesus. Jesus therefore said 
to them: Yet a little while I am with you: and 
then I go to Him that sent Me. You shall seek 
Me, and shall not find Me : and where I am, thither 
you cannot come. The Jews therefore said among 
themselves : Whither will He go, that we shall not 
find Him? Will He go unto the dispersed among 
the gentiles, and teach the gentiles? What is this 
saying that He hath said : You shall seek Me, and 
shall not find Me: and where I am, you cannot 
come? And on the last and great day of the fes- 
tivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man 
thirst, let him come to Me, and drink. He that 
believeth in Me, as the Scriptures saith, out of his 
belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now this 
He said of the spirit which they should receive who 
believed in Him. 

With what zeal did our divine Saviour, as the 
hour of His passion drew nigh, endeavor to point 
out to men the way of the true faith, happiness 



98 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

and blessedness. But the people did not listen to 
Him, and they persecuted the eternal, divine 
Truth. 

Christian soul, look up to the cross of Jesus on 
Mt. Calvary; even in the face of death, the thief 
on the left refuses to recognize Jesus, His divine 
truth and redeeming power. From the days of his 
youth he despised God, and now he blasphemes his 
divine Saviour with his dying lips. From the gib- 
bet of the cross he sees and hears how the scribes 
and Pharisees insult and blaspheme Jesus; instead 
of entering into himself and adoring the innocence, 
patience and humility of the God-man, he imitates 
their wicked example and also scoffs at Jesus in the 
impious language of unbelief. 

Behold, O Christian soul, how the wicked man 
turns to his ruin the sufferings which Jesus intended 
for his spiritual benefit; how, instead of rejecting 
bad examples, he joins the company of the godless 
and imitates them. In the unhappy end of this 
impenitent thief, contemplate the ruin of all those 
hardened sinners, concerning whom our Lord said: 
" You shall seek Me, and you shall not find Me." 
Pray for the conversion of those who err in faith : 
and pray that God may grant a happy death to all 
those sinners who are dangerously ill or dying. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 99 

LET US PRAY. 

" Sanctify our fasts, we beseech Thee, O Lord, 
and mercifully grant us the pardon of all our faults." 

O Divine Saviour hanging on the cross, for how 
many souls, besides that of the thief on Thy left, 
must Thy precious blood be shed in vain ! For the 
sake of Thy holy passion, have mercy on us. We 
promise Thee that we will never permit ourselves 
to be guided by the wicked example of others, that 
we will never neglect a good work on account of 
the influence of the wicked and that we will never 
think, speak or do anything evil for the sake of 
gaining the applause of godless men. Grant us the 
grace of perseverance, the grace of a good prep- 
aration for death, and the grace of a happy death. 
Amen. 

35. TUESDAY AFTER PASSION SUNDAY 

Gospel. St. John vii, 1-13. 

(Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Thief on the 
Right.) 

At that time : Jesus walked in Galilee ; for He 
would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought 
to kill Him. Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles 
was at hand. And His brethren said to Him: 
Pass from hence, and go into Judea : that 
Thy disciples also may see Thy works which Thou 



iqo THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

dost for there is no man that doth anything in 
secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. 
If Thou do these things, manifest Thyself to the 
world. For neither did His brethren believe in 
Him. Then Jesus said to them: My time is not 
yet come : but your time is always ready. The 
world cannot hate you ; but Ale it hateth : because 
I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are 
evil. Go you up to this festival day, but I go not 
up to this festival day : because My time is not 
accomplished. When He had said these things, He 
Himself stayed in Galilee. But after His brethren 
were gone up, then He also went up to the feast, 
not openly, but as it were in secret. The Jews 
therefore sought Him on the festival day, and said : 
Where is He? And there was much murmuring 
among the multitude concerning Him. For some 
said : He is a good man. And others said : No, but 
He seduceth the people. Yet no man spoke openly 
of Him, for fear of the Jews. 

How it must have grieved the divine Saviour that 
even His kinsmen did not believe in Him, and that 
He was obliged to attend the feast of tabernacles 
"as it were in secret." As some said He was a 
good man, and others said He was a seducer of 
the people; so the opinions were divided regarding 
Him even when He was at the portals of death, 
on the holy cross. The thief on His left did not 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 101 

believe in Him and insulted Him: but he that was 
crucified on His right, moved by the wonderful 
silence of Jesus and His prayer for His enemies, 
accused himself in all humility, saying: "We, in- 
deed, justly, for we receive the due reward of our 
deeds ; " and he vindicates the Innocent One with 
these words : " But this man hath done no evil." 
Full of contrition he implores : " Lord, remember 
me when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom." 
Learn from this, O Christian soul, the virtue of 
brotherly correction, when your neighbor commits 
a sin. Since " whoever leads back a sinner from 
his erring ways, he saves his soul and covers a mul- 
titude of sins." 

But learn also to have a humble knowledge of 
yourself and to accuse yourself humbly when you 
have fallen into sin. Pay no attention to the judg- 
ment or opinion of the world. When God and His 
holy name are insulted, when virtue and piety are 
ridiculed, when the truths of religion and the com- 
mandments of Holy Church are despised, then do 
not be afraid to imitate the undaunted example of 
the thief on the right hand of Jesus. 

LET US PRAY. 

" May our fasts be acceptable to Thee, O Lord, 
and having purified us from sin, make us worthy 
of Thy grace and procure us everlasting remedies." 



102 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

We praise Thee, O divine Redeemer, on the cross, 
because by Thy grace Thou didst bestow upon the 
penitent thief such great power for good in his last 
moments : Grant that in all situations of life we 
may confess Thee by word and deed, so that Thou 
mayest once confess us before Thy Father in heaven, 
and that Thou mayest lead us to eternal happiness 
through the merits of Thy bitter passion and cross. 
Amen. 

36. WEDNESDAY AFTER PASSION SUN- 
DAY 

Gospel. St. John x, 22-38. 
(The Divinity of Jesus and His First Word on the Cross.) 

At that time: It was the feast of the Dedication 
at Jerusalem : and it was winter. And Jesus 
walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. The 
Jews therefore came round about Him, and said to 
Him : How long dost Thou hold our souls in sus- 
pense? If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 
Jesus answered them : I speak to you and you be- 
lieve not : the works that I do in the name of My 
Father, they give testimony of Me. But you do 
not believe : because you are not of My sheep. My 
sheep hear My voice : and I know them, and they 
follow Me. And I give them life everlasting, and 
they shall not perish forever, and no man shall pluck 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 103 

them out of My hand. That which My Father hath 
given me, is greater than all : and no man can snatch 
them out of the hand of My Father. I and the 
Father are one. The Jews then took up stones 
to stone Him. Jesus answered them : Many good 
works have I showed you from My Father; for 
which of these works do you stone Me ? The Jews 
answered Him : For a good work we stone Thee 
not, but for blasphemy; and because that Thou be- 
ing a man, makest Thyself God. Jesus answered 
them: is it not written in your law: I said, you 
are gods? If He called them gods, to whom the 
word of God was spoken, and the Scripture cannot 
be broken : do you say of Him, Whom the Father 
hath sanctified and sent into the world : Thou blas- 
phemeth, because I said, I am the Son of God? If 
I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. 
But if I do, though you will not believe Me, be- 
lieve the works : that you may know and believe 
that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. 

How clearly and distinctly Jesus reveals His di- 
vinity in this gospel. And they wish to stone Him, 
instead of adoring Him. He refers to His divine 
works which unmistakably prove His divinity. And 
men nail the Son of God to a cross. Now, does 
Jesus, on the cross, ask His heavenly Father to 
hurl the thunderbolts of His justice upon the 
deicides, to make known His divinity and to cover 



104 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

His enemies with everlasting shame? No, Chris- 
tian soul, and this is the most glorious proof of 
the divinity of Jesus Christ, as soon as He is raised 
upon the cross, hanging between heaven and earth, 
He turns His eyes toward heaven and exclaims: 
" Father forgive them, for they know not what they 
do." It was not without reason that He taught 
us, poor sinners, to say in the Lord's prayer: 
" Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who 
trespass against us." 

Examine yourself now, and reflect, O Christian 
soul, that the innocent Saviour, Who was abused 
to the utmost, prays for His deadly enemies, ex- 
cuses them, and palliates their guilt, — and you ? 
Perhaps for a long time you have borne in your 
heart hatred and revenge toward your fellow-men 
whose offences may not be so grievous as you im- 
agine; or you magnify their faults by imputing to 
them motives which they perhaps never entertained. 
Remember, as Christ's prayer on the cross for His 
enemies is an excellent proof of His divinity, so 
your love for your enemy is the proof and measure 
of your Christianity. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Sanctify this fast, O God, and mercifully en- 
lighten the hearts of Thy faithful; and to those 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 105 

upon whom Thou bestowest the grace of devotion, 
lend a merciful ear to their prayers." 

O Jesus, true Son of the living God, as Thou, 
on the tree of the holy cross, prayed for Thy ene- 
mies, and taught us to pray to Thy heavenly Father 
to forgive us as we forgive those who trespass 
against us; grant us the grace that, out of love for 
Thee, we may always forgive, from the bottom of 
our hearts, all those that have done evil to us, that 
we may pray for them and do all the good we can 
for them, in imitation of Thy holy example. Amen. 

37. THURSDAY AFTER PASSION SUNDAY 

Gospel. St. Luke vii, 36-50. 

(Jesus and Magdalene, and the Second Word of Jesus on 
the Cross.) 

At that time one of the Pharisees desired Him 
to eat with him. And He went into the house of 
the Pharisee, and sat down to meat. And behold 
a woman that was in the city a sinner, when she 
knew that He sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, 
brought an alabaster box of ointment: and stand- 
ing behind at His feet, she began to wash His 
feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of 
her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them 
with the ointment. And the Pharisee, who had 



106 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

invited Him, seeing it, spoke within himself, say- 
ing: This man if He were a prophet, would know 
surely who and what manner of woman this is that 
toucheth Him : that she is a sinner. And Jesus 
answering, said to him : Simon, I have somewhat to 
say to thee. But he said : Master, say it. A cer- 
tain creditor had two debtors : the one owed five 
hundred pence, and the other fifty. And whereas 
they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them 
both. Which therefore of the two loveth him 
most ? Simon answering said : I suppose that he 
to whom he forgave most. And He said to him : 
Thou hast judged rightly. And turning to the 
woman, He said unto Simon: Dost thou see this 
woman ? I entered into thy house, thou gavest Me 
no water for my feet : but she with tears hath 
washed My feet, and with her hairs hath wiped 
them. Thou gavest Me no kiss: but she, since 
she came in, hath not ceased to kiss My feet. My 
head with oil thou didst not anoint : but she with 
ointment hath anointed My feet. Wherefore I 
say to thee : Many sins are forgiven her, because 
she hath loved much. But to whom less is for- 
given, he loveth less. And He said to her: Thy 
sins are forgiven thee. And they that sat at meat 
with Him began to say within themselves : Who is 
this that forgiveth sins also? And He said to the 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 107 

woman : Thy faith hath made thee safe : go in 
peace. 

To whose heart was greater joy rendered, to the 
contrite Magdalene whom the merciful Saviour 
thus addressed : " Thy sins are forgiven Thee ; thy 
faith hath made thee safe; " or to Dismas, the thief 
on the right, whose faith and confidence the cruci- 
fied Saviour rewarded with these consoling words : 
"Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with 
Me in paradise." 

To both He gives the hope of the kingdom of 
heaven, the companionship of (with) God Him- 
self. To both He manifests His infinite love for 
sinners who wish to be converted, His divine 
power to make saints of sinners, to make, of the 
reprobate heirs of heaven. But see, O Christian 
soul, the same Saviour has placed the same hope 
and confidence on your lips, when He taught you 
to pray : " Our Father, Who art in heaven." 
This blessed dwelling place will be given to you, 
if you accomplish His will on earth by fulfilling the 
prayer: " Hallowed be Thy Name." 

For this purpose, you must, in the short span 
of your life, endeavor to expiate your sins and 
avoid them in the future; you must endure the suf- 
ferings of this life with patience and in a spirit of 
penance, and thus spend profitably the days of your 



108 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

earthly career. Then, indeed, you will in a short 
time hear the consoling word of your Saviour: 
" Thy sins are forgiven thee ; this day thou shalt 
be with Me in paradise." 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that 
the dignity of human nature, wounded by intem- 
perance, may be restored by healthful abstinence." 

O Jesus, hanging on the holy cross, through Thy 
divine love toward the penitent Magdalene and 
Thy boundless mercy toward the penitent thief, 
grant us the grace to honor Thy holy name by a 
pious and God-fearing life, and, with Thy grace, 
to behold, after a happy death, our Father in heaven. 
Amen. 

38. FRIDAY AFTER PASSION SUNDAY 

Gospel. St. John xi, 47-55. 

(The Council of the High-priest, and the Third Word of 
Jesus on the Cross.) 

At that time: The chief priests and the Phari- 
sees gathered a council, and said: What do we, 
for this man doth many miracles? If we let Him 
alone so, all will believe in Him, and the Romans 
will come, and take away our place and nation. 
But one of them named Caiphas, being the high 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 109 

priest that year, said to them: You know noth- 
ing. Neither do you consider that it is expedient 
for you that one man should die for the people, 
and that the whole nation perish not. And this 
he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest 
of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die 
for the nation. And not only for the nation, but 
to gather together in one the children of God, that 
were dispersed. From that day, therefore, they 
devised to put Him to death. Wherefore Jesus 
walked no more openly among the Jews, but He 
went into a country near the desert, unto a city 
that is called Ephraim, and there He abode with 
His disciples. 

Against his will, the last high priest of the Old 
Testament was obliged to prophesy that through 
the death of the One God-man all men were to be 
saved. Thus God directs the career of men and 
uses even the plots of His enemies for the fulfill- 
ment of the designs of His infinite wisdom and for 
His honor and the glory of His kingdom. 

Behold, O Christian soul, two deeply afflicted 
persons standing beneath the cross of Jesus; one, 
whose feast we celebrate to-day, is the Mother of 
the Seven Dolors, the abandoned, loving mother 
of Jesus, Mary, the Queen of Martyrs; the other 
is John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, standing 
alone with Mary beneath the cross. What will be- 



no THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

come of these two faithful souls, when the cruci- 
fied One parts from them? Trembling they stand 
for a long time beneath the cross of the bleeding, 
silent Redeemer ! — But suddenly there comes from 
the cross a word of divine compassion and filial, 
grateful love: "Woman, behold thy Son! Son, 
behold thy mother." 

Thus the Son of God consoles His afflicted 
mother and His grief-stricken disciple ; to him, and 
in the person of John, to all of us He entrusts His 
mother. It remains then for us, like John, to live 
faithfully in the grace of God, to honor and love 
the Church of God, and to strive after heaven, as 
our Lord taught us to pray: " Thy kingdom come." 
Then Mary will not abandon us in life or in death; 
and, as our faithful mother, she will defend us 
against all our enemies. 

LET US PRAY. 

" Mercifully infuse Thy grace into our hearts, 
we beseech Thee, O Lord, that by doing voluntary 
penance for our sins, we may be punished here, 
rather than be condemned to punishment for eter- 
nity." 

O beloved Jesus! we beseech Thee, that Thy 
dolorous Mother, whose heart was pierced by a 
sevenfold sword, may be for us a gracious medi- 
atrix and kind mother ; so that, like her, we may live 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST in 

in the grace of God as true children of Thy holy 
Church, and that, under her protection, we may 
enter the kingdom of Thy eternal glory. Amen. 



39. SATURDAY AFTER PASSION SUNDAY 

Gospel. St. John xii, 10-36. 

(The Voice from Heaven and the Fourth Word of Jesus 
on the Cross.) 

At that time a great multitude, that was come 
to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus 
was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm- 
trees and went forth to meet Him, and cried : Ho- 
sanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of 
the Lord, the king of Israel. And Jesus found a 
young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written : Fear 
not, daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh 
sitting on an ass's colt. These things His disciples 
did not know at the first : but when Jesus was glori- 
fied, then they remembered that these things were 
written of Him, and that they had done these 
things to Him. The multitude therefore gave 
testimony, which was with Him when He called 
Lazarus out of the grave, and raised him from the 
dead. For which reason also the people came to 
meet Him: because they heard that He had done 
this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among 
themselves: Do you see that we prevail nothing? 



lis THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Behold, the whole world is gone after Him. Now 
there were certain gentiles among them who came 
up to adore on the festival day. These therefore 
came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, 
and desired him, saying: Sir, we would see Jesus. 
But Jesus answered them, saying : The hour is 
come that the Son of man should be glorified. 
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat 
falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. 
But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that 
loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life 
in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. If any 
man minister to Me, let him follow Me ; and where I 
am, there also shall My minister be. If any man 
minister to Me, him will My Father honor. Now is 
My soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, 
save Me from this hour. But for this cause I 
came unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. 
A voice therefore came from heaven : I have both 
glorified it, and will glorify it again. The multi- 
tude therefore that stood and heard said that it 
thundered. Others said, An angel spoke to Him. 
Jesus answered, and said : This voice came not be- 
cause of Me, but for your sakes. Now is' the 
judgment of the world: now shall the prince of 
this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up 
from the earth, will draw all things to Myself. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 113 

(Now this He said, signifying what death He should 
die. ) The multitude answered Him : We have 
heard out of the law, that Christ abideth forever: 
and how sayest Thou: The Son of man must be 
lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Jesus there- 
fore said to them: Yet a little while the light is 
among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that 
the darkness overtake you not. And he that 
walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 
Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that 
you may be the children of light. These things 
Jesus spoke, and He went away, and hid Himself 
from them. 

What a striking difference between the voice of 
the eternal Father in heaven amidst the sublime 
teachings and prayers of His divine Son : " I have 
both glorified it and will glorify it again " ; and 
the voice of the divine Saviour on the cross, as He, 
in the midst of appalling darkness, exclaimed : 
" My God, My God! why hast Thou forsaken Me." 
This word of Jesus gives expression to the un- 
speakable suffering of His holy body, to the dis- 
consolateness of His soul, and to His grief over 
the shameful flight of all His friends and disciples. 
But He, who taught us to pray : " Thy will be 
done on earth as it is in heaven," resigned Himself 
immediately to the Will of His heavenly Father 



ii4 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

and recalls to mind that " the hour is come that the 
Son of man shall be glorified." How remarkably 
God fulfills this prophecy in the glorious resurrec- 
tion and ascension of His divine Son. 

Learn, O Christian soul, to have recourse to 
God, in all the afflictions of your body and soul, in 
anguish and distress, in trouble and misery. Learn 
to submit to the wise and gracious ordinances of 
God, and to fulfill the will of God with that resigna- 
tion which merited for Jesus the glory of His heav- 
enly Father; and then you too will one day be glori- 
fied. 

LET US PRAY. 

" May the people consecrated to Thy service, 
we beseech Thee, O Lord, improve in the affections 
of piety; that instructed by these holy mysteries, 
they may be so much the more enriched with Thy 
heavenly gifts, as they become more acceptable to 
Thy divine Majesty." 

O Jesus, Who didst exclaim in Thy death agony : 
" My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me," 
Grant that in all our distress and adversity we may 
never despair, but always strive " that Thy Will 
be done on earth as it is in heaven," and that we 
may once obtain the crown of eternal glory. Amen. 






AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 115 
40. PALM SUNDAY 

THE BEGINNING OF HOLY WEEK 

Gospel. Matt, xxi, 1-9. 

(The Triumphant Entry of Jesus and His Fifth Word on 
the Cross.) 

At that time: When Jesus drew nigh to Jeru- 
salem, and was come to Bethphage, unto Mt. Olivet : 
then He sent two disciples, saying to them : Go ye 
into the village that is over against you, and im- 
mediately ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with 
her : loose them, and bring them to Me : and if any 
man shall say anything to you, say ye that the Lord 
hath need of them, and forthwith he will let them 
go. Now all this was done, that it might be ful- 
filled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold thy King 
cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and 
a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke. 
And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded 
them. And they brought the ass and the colt, and 
laid their garments upon them, and made Him sit 
thereon. And a very great multitude spread their 
garments in the way: and others cut boughs from 
the trees, and strewed them in the way : and the mul- 
titudes that went before, and that followed, cried, 
saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is 
He that cometh in the name of the Lord. 



u6 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

To-day, at the beginning of Holy Week, there is 
a procession with blessed palms in remembrance of 
the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The 
holy gospel vividly describes this event. Our di- 
vine Saviour knows, however, that these same peo- 
ple who now exclaim Hosanna will in three days 
cry out : " Crucify Him." But He is not satisfied 
with the outward splendor of His reception ; He de- 
sires also admission into the hearts of men, as is 
touchingly symbolized by the three knocks on the 
door of the Church with the staff of the proces- 
sional cross. Behold the same Saviour on the 
cross, Christian soul; His countenance is pale as 
death, His eyes are dim and troubled, His lips are 
dry, and He exclaims : " I thirst." Certainly the 
bodily thirst of the Redeemer was excessive and 
painful; but He thirsted more for the winning of 
souls for heaven, for tears of contrition from sin- 
ners, the fear of God from the lukewarm, humility 
from the proud, modesty from the shameless, ab- 
stinence from the intemperate, greater honor and 
glory to His heavenly Father from all men. All 
this He requires of you too, O Christian soul, and, 
since without the grace of God you can do nothing, 
He has taught you to pray : " Give us this day our 
daily bread." Oh, do not refuse to give your soul 
to your Saviour, Who is the Bread of Life, by the 
frequent and worthy reception of the Blessed Eu- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 117 

charist, — the institution of which is celebrated on 
Holy Thursday. 

LET US PRAY. 

" O almighty and eternal God, Who wouldst 
have our Saviour take flesh and undergo the cross, 
for man to imitate the example of His humility; 
grant, we beseech Thee, that we may both imitate 
His patience and deserve to become partakers of 
the glory of the resurrection." 

Through Thy meritorious thirst on the cross, 
grant us, O Jesus, daily refreshment of body and 
soul, and after this life a joyous entrance into Thy 
eternal glory. Amen. 

41. MONDAY IN HOLY WEEK 

Gospel. St. John xii, 1-9. 

(The Anointing of Jesus by Mary and the Sixth Word on 
the Cross.) 

Six days before the Pasch Jesus came to Bethania, 
where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised 
to life. And they made Him a supper there : and 
Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that 
were at table with Him. Mary therefore took a 
pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great 
price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped 
His feet with her hair : and the house was filled 
with the odor of the ointment. Then one of His 



u8 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray 
Him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for 
three hundred pence and given to the poor? Now 
he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but 
because he was a thief, and having the purse, car- 
ried the things that were put therein. Jesus 
therefore said : Let her alone, that she may keep it 
against the day of My burial. For the poor you 
have always with you: but Me you have not al- 
ways. A great multitude therefore of the Jews 
knew that he was there: and they came, not for 
Jesus's sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, 
whom He had raised from the dead. 

The high-priest, Jesus, shortly before His death, 
permitted the penitent Mary Magdalene, as an act 
of love and reverence, to anoint Flis holy head with 
costly ointment, in preparation for His burial. For 
His sacred body it was a fulfillment of the words, 
" It is consummated." 

When He took the vinegar which was offered 
to Him on the cross, He uttered the holy word: 
" It is consummated." The Scriptures were ful- 
filled, His divine mission was accomplished, His 
bitter passion was consummated. The honor of 
His heavenly Father was restored, the redemption 
of mankind was achieved, — all the labor, humili- 
ations and pains of His life on earth were at an end. 

O Christian soul, would that you could say the 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 119 

same on the day of your death! But are you not 
rather filled with deep sadness and remorseful 
anxiety, when you call to mind the record of your 
past life ? Has it been a life without virtue, with- 
out improvement? Christian soul, do not despair. 
He who taught you to pray, " Lead us not into 
temptation," He will help you to overcome all diffi- 
culties, if you begin to-day to do penance and if 
you do not refuse the hardships of a pious and virtu- 
ous life. Then you will be able calmly to look death 
in the face, and in your last hour heavenly peace 
will reign in your soul and, filled with gratitude 
towards God, you will exclaim with your Saviour: 
" It is consummated." 

LET US PRAY. 

" Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, 
who fail through our infirmity, in so many ad- 
versities may be relieved by the passion of Thy Son, 
making intercession for us." 

O Divine Saviour hanging on the cross, see the 
many dangers that surround our soul; with child- 
like confidence we beseech Thee not to abandon us 
in the temptations of this life, but to help us to lead 
a life pleasing to Thee so that, at the end of our 
earthly career, we may joyfully exclaim with Thee : 
" It is consummated." Amen. 



120 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

42. TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK 

Epistle. Jeremias xi, 18-20. 

(The Lamentation of the Prophet, and the Seventh Word 
on the Cross.) 

In those days Jeremias said : Thou, O Lord, hast 
showed me, and I have known: then Thou show- 
edst me their doings. And I was as a meek lamb 
that is carried to be a victim : and I know not that 
they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let 
us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the 
land of the living, and let his name be remembered 
no more. But Thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, Who 
judgest justly, and triest the reins and the hearts, 
let me see Thy revenge on them : for to Thee have I 
revealed my cause, O Lord my God. 

The prophet places touching words on the lips of 
our Saviour, who is the meek lamb that is led to 
slaughter. The discourse closes with an expression 
of resignation: " for to Thee have I revealed my 
cause, O Lord my God." 

The Passion which is read to-day in holy Mass, 
relates that Jesus exclaimed from the cross with a 
loud voice : " Father, into Thy hands I commend 
My spirit." And when He said this He bowed His 
head and gave up the ghost. 

Contemplate, O Christian soul, your Saviour's 
divine power which proclaims with a loud voice, 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 121 

even at the moment of expiring, that He surren- 
ders Himself to death voluntarily, that the power 
of God manifests itself chiefly in trials and suffer- 
ings, and especially in the hour of death. Not with- 
out reason did our divine Saviour teach us to con- 
clude the Our Father with the words : " But deliver 
us from evil. Amen." There is no greater evil 
than an unhappy death ; there is no greater blessing 
than to be able to die in the grace of God, and to 
commend one's soul into the hands of God. 

O Christian soul, accustom yourself to com- 
mend your soul often to God, especially every night 
before falling asleep. Recite in union with your 
dying Saviour : " Father, into Thy hands I com- 
mend my spirit." And as Jesus recommended all 
men to His heavenly Father, so you should com- 
mend to Him the souls that daily pass into eternity. 
Do this especially during Holy Week. Attend dil- 
igently and devoutly divine service in the morning, 
the matins in the evening, and the touching and 
magnificent services on Maundy Thursday, Good 
Friday and Holy Saturday. Do not begrudge the 
time. Perhaps you will not live to celebrate many 
more Holy Weeks. Use well this time of grace 
in meditating with deep sorrow on the bitter pas- 
sion and death of your Saviour. Then, after the 
Good Friday of this life, He will conduct you into 
the Holy Saturday rest of your body, and unto 



122 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

the resurrection of your soul to everlasting happi- 
ness. 

LET US PRAY. 

" O Almighty and Eternal God, grant that we 
may so celebrate the mysteries of our Lord's pas- 
sion that we may deserve to obtain pardon." 

" Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." 
O Jesus, thus didst Thou cry out with a loud voice, 
bowed Thy head and died. By the merits of these 
holy words, preserve us, O kind and loving Saviour, 
from the greatest of all evils, from an unhappy 
death. Bless our dying lips with the same sacred 
words, and then take up our souls into Thy hands. 
Amen. 

43. THE PASSION ON PALM SUNDAY 

THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 

(According to the Four Gospels on Sunday, Tuesday and 
Friday of Holy Week.) 

Gospel. St. Matt, xxvi and xxvii. 

At that time Jesus said to His disciples : You 
know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and 
the Son of man shall be delivered up to be cruci- 
fied. Then there gathered together the chief 
priests and ancients of the people in the court of 
the high priest, who was called Caiphas : and they 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 123 

consulted together, that by subtilty they might ap- 
prehend Jesus and put Him to death. But they 
said: Not on the festival-day, lest perhaps there 
should be a tumult among the people. And when 
Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the 
leper, there came to Him a woman having an ala- 
baster box of precious ointment, and poured it on 
His head as He sat at table. And the disciples 
seeing it, had indignation, saying: To what pur- 
pose is this waste? for this might have been sold 
for much, and given to the poor. And Jesus, 
knowing it, said to them : Why do you trouble 
this woman? For she hath wrought a good work 
upon Me. For the poor you have always with 
you : but Me you have not always. For she, in 
pouring this ointment upon My body, hath done 
it for My burial. Amen I say to you, where- 
soever this gospel shall be preached in the whole 
world, that also which she hath done shall 
be told for a memory of her. Then went one 
of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, 
to the chief priests. And said to them: What 
will you give me, and I will deliver Him unto you ? 
But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver. 
And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to 
betray Him. And on the first day of the Azymes 
the disciples came to Jesus, saying : Where wilt 
Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the Pasch? 



124 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

But Jesus said: Go ye into the city to a certain 
man, and say to him: The Master saith: My 
time is near at hand, with thee I make the Pasch 
with My disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus 
appointed to them, and they prepared the Pasch. 
But when it was evening, He sat down with His 
twelve disciples. And whilst they were eating, 
He said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is 
about to betray Me. And they being very much 
troubled, began every one to say : Is it I, Lord ? 
But he answering, said : He that dippeth his hand 
with Me in the dish, he shall betray Me. The Son 
of man indeed goeth, as it is written of Him: but 
wo to that man by whom the Son of man shall be 
betrayed : it were better for him if that man had 
not been born. And Judas that betrayed Him, 
answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to Him: 
Thou hast said it. And whilst they were at supper, 
Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke : and gave 
to His disciples, and said : take ye and eat ; this is 
My body. And taking the chalice He gave thanks : 
and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. 
For this is My blood of the New Testament, which 
shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. 
And I say to you I will not drink from henceforth of 
this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall 
drink it with you in the kingdom of My Father. 
And a hymn being said, they went out unto Mount 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 125 

Olivet. Then Jesus saith to them : All you shall be 
scandalized in Me this night. For it is written : I 
will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock 
shall be dispersed. But after I shall be risen again, 
I will go before you into Galilee. And Peter an- 
swering, said to Him : Although all shall be scandal- 
ized in Thee, I will never be scandalized. Jesus said 
to him : Amen I say to thee, that in this night 
before the cock crow, thou wilt deny Me thrice. 
Peter saith to Him: Yea, though I should die 
with Thee, I will not deny Thee. And in like 
manner said all the disciples. Then Jesus came 
with them into a country place which is called 
Gethsemani, and He said to His disciples: Sit 
you here, till I go yonder and pray. And taking 
with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He 
began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then 
he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto 
death : stay you here and watch with Me. And 
going a little further, He fell upon His face, 
praying and saying: My Father, if it be possible, 
let this chalice pass from Me. Nevertheless not 
as I will, but as Thou wilt. And He cometh to 
His disciples, and findeth them asleep, and He 
saith to Peter : What ! could you not watch one 
hour with Me? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter 
not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, 
but the flesh weak. Again the second time He 



126 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

went and prayed, saying: My Father, if this 
chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it. 
Thy will be done. And He cometh again, and 
findeth them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy. 
And leaving them, He went again: and He prayed 
the third time, saying the selfsame words. Then 
He cometh to His disciples and saith to them : 
Sleep ye now and take your rest : behold the hour 
is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed 
into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go : behold 
he is at hand that will betray Me. As He yet 
spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and 
with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, 
sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the 
people. And he that betrayed Him gave them a 
sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that be 
He, hold Him fast. And forthwith coming to 
Jesus, he said : Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed Him. 
And Jesus said to him : Friend, whereto art thou 
come? Then they came up and laid hands on 
Jesus, and held Him. And behold one of them 
that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, 
drew out his sword, and striking the servant of 
the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus saith 
to him : Put up again thy sword into its place : 
for all that take the sword shall perish with the 
sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot ask My Fa- 
ther, and He will give Me presently more than 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 127 

twelve legions of angels? How then shall the 
Scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done? 
In that same hour Jesus said to the multitude: 
You are come out as it were to a robber with 
swords and clubs to apprehend Me. I sat daily 
with you teaching in the Temple, and you laid not 
hands on Me. Now all this was done, that the 
Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then 
the disciples all leaving Him, fled. But they be- 
holding Jesus led Him to Caiphas the high priest, 
where the scribes of the ancients were assembled. 
And Peter followed Him afar off, even to the court 
of the high priest. And going in he sat with the 
servants, that he might see the end. And the chief 
priests and the whole council sought false witness 
against Jesus that they might put Him to death: 
and they found not, whereas many false witnesses 
had come in. And last of all there came two false 
witnesses, and they said : This man said, I am 
able to destroy the temple of God, and after three 
days to rebuild it. And the high priest rising up, 
said to Him: Answereth Thou nothing to the 
things which these witness against Thee? But 
Jesus held His peace. And the high priest said 
to Him: I adjure Thee by the living God, that 
Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ the Son of God. 
Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it; neverthe- 
less I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son 



128 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

of man sitting on the right hand of the power of 
God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then 
the high priest rent his garments, saying: He 
hath blasphemed: what further need have we of 
witnesses? Behold, now you have heard the blas- 
phemy : what think you ? But they answering, 
said : He is guilty of death. Then did they spit 
in His face, and buffeted Him, and others struck 
His face with the palms of their hands, saying: 
Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck 
Thee? But Peter sat without in the court: and 
there came to him a servant maid, saying: Thou 
also wast with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied 
before them all, saying: I know not what 
thou sayest. And as he went out of the gate an- 
other maid saw him, and she sayeth to them that 
were there : This man also was with Jesus of 
Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath : 
That I know not the man. And after a little while 
the}- came that stood by, and said to Peter : Surely 
thou also art one of them : for even thy speech doth 
discover thee. Then he began to curse and to 
swear that he knew not the man. And immediately 
the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word 
of Jesus which He had said: Before the cock 
crow, thou wilt deny Me thrice. And going forth 
he wept bitterly. And when morning was come, 
all the chief priests and ancients of the people took 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 129 

counsel against Jesus, that they might put Him to 
death. And they brought Him bound and delivered 
Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas 
who betrayed Him, seeing that He was condemned, 
repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces 
of silver to the chief priests and ancients, saying: 
I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But 
they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. 
And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple 
he departed : and went and hanged himself with 
an halter. But the chief priests having taken the 
pieces of silver, said : It is not lawful to put them 
into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. 
And after they had consulted together, they bought 
with them the potter's field to be a burying place 
for strangers. For this cause that field was called 
Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this 
day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken 
by Jeremias the prophet, saying: And they took 
the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that 
was prized, Whom they prized of the children 
of Israel : and they gave them unto the potter's 
field, as the Lord appointed to me. And Jesus 
stood before the governor, and the governor asked 
Him, saying: Art Thou the King of the Jews? 
Jesus saith to him : Thou sayest it. And when 
He was accused by the chief priests and ancients, 
He answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to Him: 



130 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Dost not Thou hear how great testimonies they 
allege against Thee? And He answered him to 
never a word: so that the governor wondered ex- 
ceedingly. Now upon the solemn day the governor 
was accustomed to release to the people one pris- 
oner, whom they would; and he had then a noto- 
rious prisoner that was called Barabbas. They 
therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: 
Whom will you that I release to you, Barabbas or 
Jesus that is called Christ? For he knew that for 
envy they had delivered Him. And as he was 
sitting in the place of judgment his wife sent to 
him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that 
just man; for I have suffered many things this 
day in a dream because of Him. But the chief 
priests and ancients persuaded the people that they 
should ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. And 
the Governor answering said to them : Whether 
will you of the two to be released unto you? But 
they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them: What 
shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? 
They say all : Let Him be crucified. The gov- 
ernor said to them : Why, what evil hath He 
done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let 
Him be crucified. And Pilate seeing that he pre- 
vailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made : 
taking water, washed his hands before the people, 
saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man; 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 131 

look you to it. And the whole people answering, 
said: His blood be upon us and upon our chil- 
dren. Then he released to them Barabbas : and 
having scourged Jesus, delivered Him unto them 
to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor 
taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto 
Him the whole band : and stripping Him, they put 
a scarlet cloak about Him. And platting a crown 
of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed 
in His right hand. And bowing the knee before 
Him, they mocked Him, saying : Hail King of 
the Jews. And spitting upon Him, they took the 
reed and struck His head. And after they had 
mocked Him, they took off the cloak from Him, 
and put on Him His own garments, and led Him 
away to crucify Him. And going out they found 
a man of Cyrene, named Simon : him they forced 
to take up His cross. And they came to the place 
that is called Golgotha, which is the place of 
Calvary. And they gave him wine to drink 
mingled with gall. And when He had tasted, 
He would not drink. And after they had cruci- 
fied Him, they divided His garments, casting 
lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken 
by the prophet, saying: They divided My gar- 
ments among them, and upon My vesture they 
cast lots. And they sat and watched Him. And 
they put over His head His cause, written : This 



132 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

is Jesus the King of the Jews. Then were cru- 
cified with Him two thieves: one on the right 
hand, and one on the left. And they that passed 
by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads, and 
saying: Vah, Thou that destroyest the temple of 
God, and in three days dost rebuild it : save Thy 
own self: if Thou be the Son of God, come down 
from the cross. In like manner also the chief 
priests with the scribes and ancients mocking, 
said: He saved others, Himself He cannot save: 
If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come 
down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 
He trusted in God : let Him now deliver Him if He 
will have Him: for He said: I am the Son of 
God. And the selfsame thing the thieves also, 
that were crucified with him, reproached Him 
with. Now from the sixth hour there was dark- 
ness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. 
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud 
voice, saying: Eli, Eli, Lamma Sabacthani? that 
is, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken 
Me? And some that stood there and heard, 
said : This man calleth Elias. And immediately 
one of them running took a sponge, and filled 
it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave 
Him to drink. And the others said : Let be, let 
us see whether Elias will come to deliver Him. 
And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded 






AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 133 

up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple 
was rent in two from the top even to the bottom; 
and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. 
And the graves were opened; and many bodies 
of the saints that had slept, arose, and coming 
out of the tombs after His resurrection, came into 
the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now the 
centurion, and they that were with him watching 
Jesus, having seen the earth quake and the things 
that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed 
this was the Son of God. And there were many 
women afar off, who had followed Jesus from 
Galilee, ministering unto Him: among them was 
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James 
and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 
And when it was evening, there came a certain 
rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph; who also 
himself was a disciple of Jesus; he went to Pilate 
and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate com- 
manded that the body should be delivered. And 
Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean 
linen cloth; and laid it in his own new monument, 
which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a 
great stone to the door of the monument and 
went his way. And there was there Mary Mag- 
dalene, and the other Mary sitting over against 
the sepulchre. And the next day, which followed 
the day of preparation, the chief priests and Phar- 



134 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

isees came together to Pilate, saying: Sir, we 
have remembered that that seducer said, while He 
was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. 
Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded 
until the third day: lest perhaps His disciples 
come and steal Him away, and say to the people : 
He is risen from the dead : and the last error shall be 
worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You 
have a guard : go guard it as you know. And they 
departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the 
stone, and setting guards. 

44. THE PASSION ON TUESDAY IN HOLY 
WEEK 

Gospel. St. Mark xiv and xv. 

At that time : The feast of the Pasch, and of 
the Azymes was after two days: and the chief 
priests and the scribes sought how they might by 
some wile lay hold on Him, and kill Him. But 
they said : Not on the festival-day, lest there 
should be a tumult among the people. And when 
He was in Bethania in the house of Simon the 
leper, and was at meat, there came a woman hav- 
ing an alabaster box of ointment of precious spike- 
nard : and breaking the alabaster box she poured 
it out upon His head. Now there were some that 
had indignation within themselves, and said : Why 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 135 

was this waste of the ointment made? For this 
ointment might have been sold for more than three 
hundred pence, and given to the poor. And 
they murmured against her. But Jesus said : Let 
her alone, why do you molest her? She hath 
wrought a good work upon Me. For the poor 
you have always with you : and whensoever you 
will, you may do them good; but Me you have 
not always. What she had, she hath done: she 
is come before hand to anoint My body for the 
burial. Amen I say to you, wheresoever this 
gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that 
also which she hath done, shall be told for a 
memorial of her. And Judas Iscariot, one of the 
twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him 
to them. Who hearing it were glad : and they 
promised him they would give him money. And 
he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. 
Now on the first day of the unleavened bread when 
they sacrificed the Pasch, the disciples say to Him: 
Whither wilt Thou that we go, and prepare for 
Thee to eat the Pasch ? And He sendeth two of 
His disciples, and saith to them : Go ye into the 
city ; and there shall meet you a man carrying a 
pitcher of water, following him ; and whithersoever 
he shall go in, say to the master of the house. The 
Master saith, Where is My refectory, where I may 
eat the Pasch with My disciples? And he will 



136 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

show you a large dining-room furnished; and 
there prepare ye for us. And His disciples went 
their way, and came into the city ; and they found as 
He had told them, and they prepared the Pasch. 
And when evening was come, He cometh with 
the twelve. And when they were at table and 
eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of 
you that eateth with Me shall betray Me. But 
they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him 
one by one: Is it I? Who saith to them: One 
of the twelve, who dippeth with Me his hand in 
the dish. And the Son of man indeed goeth, as 
it is written of Him : but wo to that man by whom 
the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were bet- 
ter for him, if that man had not been born. And 
whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread: and 
blessing broke, and gave to them, and said : Take 
ye, this is my body. And having taken the chalice, 
giving thanks He gave it to them. And they all 
drank of it. And He said to them : This is My 
blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed 
for many. Amen I say to you, that I will drink 
no more of this fruit of the vine, until that day 
when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God. 
And when they had said a hymn, they went forth 
to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus saith to them : 
You will all be scandalized in My regard this night; 
for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 137 

sheep shall be dispersed. But after I shall be risen 
again, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter 
saith to Him: Although all shall be scandalized in 
Thee, yet not I. And Jesus saith to him: Amen 
I say to thee, to-day even in this night, before the 
cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice. But 
he spoke the more vehemently: Although I 
should die together with Thee, I will not deny 
Thee. And in like manner also said they all. 
And they come to a farm called Gethsemani. And 
he saith to His disciples : Sit you here, while I 
pray. And He taketh Peter and James and John 
with Him; and He began to fear and to be heavy. 
And He saith to them : My soul is sorrowful 
even unto death; stay you here, and watch. And 
when He was gone forward a little He fell flat 
on the ground; and He prayed that if it might 
be, the hour might pass from Him : and He saith : 
Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee, re- 
move this chalice from Me, but not what I will, 
but what Thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth 
them sleeping. And He saith to Peter : Simon, 
sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour? 
Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temp- 
tation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh 
is weak. And going away again, He prayed, say- 
ing the same words. And when He returned, He 
found them again asleep (for their eyes were 



138 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

heavy) and they knew not what to answer Him. 
And He cometh the third time, and saith to them : 
Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: 
the hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be 
betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let 
us go. Behold, he that will betray me, is at hand. 
And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas 
Iscariot, one of the twelve, and with him a great 
multitude with swords and staves, from the chief 
priests and the scribes and the ancients. And he 
that betrayed Him had given them a sign, saying: 
Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He, lay hold on 
Him, and lead Him away carefully. And when 
He was come, immediately going up to Him, he 
saith: Hail, Rabbi: and he kissed Him. But 
they laid hands on Him, and held Him. And one 
of them that stood by drawing a sword, struck a 
servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. 
And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you 
come out as a robber with swords and staves to 
apprehend Me? I was daily with you in the 
temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on 
Me. But that the Scriptures may be fulfilled. 
Then His disciples leaving Him all fled away. 
And a certain young man followed Him having a 
linen cloth cast about his naked body: and they 
laid hold on him. But he, casting off the linen 
cloth, fled from them naked. And they brought 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 139 

Jesus to the high priest : and all the priests and 
the scribes and the ancients assembled together. 
And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the 
court of the high priest: and he sat with the serv- 
ants at the fire, and warmed himself. And the 
chief priests and all the council sought for evi- 
dence against Jesus that they might put Him to 
death, and found none. For many bore false 
witness against Him, and their evidences were 
not agreeing. And some rising up, bore false 
witness against Him, saying: We heard Him say, 
I will destroy this temple made with hands, and 
within three days I will build another, not made 
with hands. And their witness did not agree. 
And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked 
Jesus, saying: Answerest Thou nothing to the 
things that are laid to Thy charge by these men? 
But he held His peace, and answered nothing. 
Again the high priest asked Him, and said to Him : 
Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed God? 
And Jesus said to him : I am. And you shall 
see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of 
the power of God, and coming with the clouds of 
heaven. Then the high priest rending his garments 
saith: What need we any farther witnesses? 
You have heard the blasphemy. What think 
you? Who all condemned Him to be guilty of 
death. And some began to spit on Him, and to 



i 4 o THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say 
unto Him : Prophesy : and the servants struck Him 
with the palms of their hands. Now when Peter 
was in the court below, there cometh one of the 
maid-servants of the high priest. And when she 
had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him 
she saith : Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. 
But he denied, saying : I neither know nor under- 
stand what thou sayest. And he went forth be- 
fore the court; and the cock crew. And again a 
maid-servant seeing him, began to say to the 
standers-by: This is one of them. But he 
denied again. And after a while they that stood 
by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of 
them: for thou art also a Galilean. But he be- 
gan to curse and to swear, saying : I know not this 
man of Whom you speak. And immediately the 
cock crew again. And Peter remembered the 
word that Jesus had said unto him: before the 
cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny Me. And 
he began to weep. And straightway in the morn- 
ing the chief priests holding a consultation with 
the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, 
binding Jesus, led Him away and delivered Him 
to Pilate. And Pilate asked Him: Art Thou the 
King of the Jews? But He answering, saith to 
him: Thou sayest it. And the chief priests ac- 
cused Him in many things. And Pilate again 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 141 

asked Him, saying: Answerest Thou nothing? 
behold in how many things they accuse Thee. 
But Jesus still answered nothing: so that Pilate 
wondered. Now on the festival-day he was wont 
to release unto them one of the prisoners, whom- 
soever they demanded. And there was one called 
Barabbas, who was put in prison with some 
seditious men, who in the sedition had committed 
murder. And when the multitude was come up, 
they began to desire that he would do, as he had 
ever done unto them. And Pilate answered them, 
and said: Will you that I release to you the 
King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief 
priests had delivered Him up out of envy. But 
the chief priests moved the people, that he 
should rather release Barabbas to them. And 
Pilate answering, saith to them: What will you 
then that I do to the King of the Jews? But 
they again cried out: Crucify Him. And Pilate 
saith to them : Why, what evil hath He done ? 
But they cried out the more : Crucify Him. 
And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, 
released to them Barabbas, and delivered up 
Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be cru- 
cified. And the soldiers led Him into the court 
of the palace, and they called together the whole 
band : and they clothe Him with purple, and 
platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon Him. 



142 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

And they began to salute Him: Hail, King of 
the Jews. And they struck His head with a reed : 
and they did spit on Him. And bowing their 
knees, they adored Him. And after they had 
mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, 
and put His own garments on Him, and they 
led Him out to crucify Him. And they forced 
one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by, coming out 
of the country, the father of Alexander and of 
Rufus, to take up His cross. And they bring 
Him into the place called Golgotha, which being 
interpreted is, the place of Calvary. And they 
gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh : 
but He took it not. And crucifying Him, they 
divided His garments, casting lots upon them, 
what every man should take. And it was the 
third hour, and they crucified Him. And the 
inscription of His cause was written over, THE 
KING OF THE JEWS. And with Him they 
crucify two thieves, the one on His right hand, and 
the other on His left. And the Scripture was ful- 
filled which saith: And with the wicked He was 
reputed. And they that passed by blasphemed Him, 
wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, Thou that 
destroyest the temple of God, and in three days 
buildest it up again, save Thyself, coming d©wn 
from the cross. In like manner also the chief 
priests mocking, said with the scribes one to an- 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 143 

other : He saved others, Himself He cannot save. 
Let Christ the King of Israel come down now from 
the cross, that we may see and believe. And they 
that were crucified with Him, reviled Him. And 
when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness 
over the whole earth until the ninth hour. And at 
the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, 
saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Which is, 
being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou 
forsaken Me? And some of the standers-by hear- 
ing, said : Behold He calleth Elias. And one run- 
ning and filling a sponge with vinegar, and putting 
it upon a reed, gave Him to drink, saying: Stay, 
let us see if Elias come to take Him down. And 
Jesus having cried out with a loud voice gave up 
the ghost. (Here all kneel.) And the veil of the 
temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. 
And the centurion who stood over against Him, 
seeing that crying out in this manner He had given 
up the ghost, said : Indeed this man was the Son of 
God. And there were also women looking on afar 
off: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary 
the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and 
Salome : who also when He was in Galilee, followed 
Him, and ministered to Him, and many other 
women that came up with Him to Jerusalem. 

And when evening was now come (because it 
was the Parasceve, that is, the day before the Sab- 



144 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

bath), Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who 
was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, 
came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the 
body of Jesus. But Pilate wondered that He 
should be already dead. And sending for the 
centurion, he asked him if He were already dead. 
And when he had understood it by the centurion, 
he gave the body to Joseph. And Joseph buying 
fine linen and taking Him down, wrapped Him up 
in the fine linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which 
was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone 
to the door of the sepulchre. 

45. THE PASSION ON WEDNESDAY IN 

HOLY WEEK 

Gospel. St. Luke xxii and xxiii. 

At that time: The feast of unleavened bread, 
which is called the Pasch, was at hand. And the 
chief priests and the scribes sought how they might 
put Jesus to death: but they feared the people. 
And Satan entered into Judas who was surnamed 
Iscariot, one of the twelve. And he went and dis- 
coursed with the chief priests and the magistrates, 
how they might betray Him to them. And they 
were glad, and covenanted to give him money. 
And he promised. And he sought opportunity to 
betray Him in the absence of the multitude. And 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 145 

the day of the unleavened bread came, on which it 
was necessary that the Pasch should be killed. And 
He sent Peter and John, saying: Go and prepare 
for us the Pasch, that we may eat. But they said : 
Where wilt Thou that we prepare? And He said 
to them : Behold, as you go into the city, there shall 
meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water : follow 
him into the house where he entereth in: and you 
shall say to the goodman of the house : The Master 
saith to thee: Where is the guest-chamber, where 
I may eat the Pasch with My disciples? And 
he will show you a large dining-room furnished : 
and there prepare. And they going, found- as He 
had said to them, and made ready the Pasch. And 
when the hour was come, He sat down, and the 
twelve apostles with Him. And He said to them: 
With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with 
you before I suffer. For I say to you, that from 
this time I will not eat it, till it be fulfilled in the 
kingdom of God. And having taken the chalice 
He gave thanks, and said : Take, and divide it among 
you. For I say to you, that I will not drink of 
the fruit of the vine, till the kingdom of God come. 
And taking bread, He gave thanks, and brake : and 
gave to them, saying: This is My body which is 
given for you. Do this for a commemoration of 
Me. In like manner the chalice also, after He 
had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the New 



146 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Testament in My blood, which shall be shed for 
yon. But yet behold, the hand of him that be- 
trayeth Me is with Me on the table. And the Son 
of man indeed goeth, according to that which is 
determined : but yet wo to that man by whom He 
shall be betrayed. And they began to inquire 
among themselves which of them it was that should 
do this thing. And there was also a strife amongst 
them, which of them should seem to be greater. 
And He said to them : The kings of the gentiles 
lord it over them : and they that have power over 
them, are called beneficent. But you not so : but 
he that is the greater among you, let him become 
as the younger : and he that is the leader, as he that 
serveth. For which is greater, he that sitteth at 
table, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth 
at table? but I am in the midst of you, as He 
that serveth : and you are they who have continued 
with Me in My temptations : and I dispose to you, 
as My Father hath disposed to Me, a kingdom: 
that you may eat and drink at My table in My 
kingdom : and may sit upon thrones judging the 
twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said : Simon, 
Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you that 
he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for 
thee that thy faith fail not: and thou being once 
converted, confirm thy brethren. Who said to 
Him : Lord, I am ready to go with Thee both into 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 147 

prison and to death. And He said : I say to thee, 
Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, till thou 
thrice deniest that thou knowest Me. And He said 
to them : When I sent you without purse and scrip 
and shoes, did you want anything ? But they said : 
Nothing. Then said He unto them: But now he 
that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a 
scrip: and he that hath not, let him sell his coat, 
and buy a sword. For I say to you, that this that 
is written, must yet be fulfilled in Me: And with 
the wicked was He reckoned. For the things con- 
cerning Me have an end. But they said : Lord, be- 
hold here are two swords. And He said to them : 
It is enough. And going out He went according 
to His custom to the Mount of Olives. And His 
disciples also followed Him. And when He was 
come to the place, He said to them: Pray, lest ye 
enter into temptation. And He was withdrawn 
away from them a stone's cast : and kneeling down 
He prayed: saying, Father, if Thou wilt, remove 
this chalice from Me : but yet not My will, but 
Thine be done. And there appeared to Him an 
angel from heaven strengthening Him. And being 
in an agony, He prayed the longer. And His 
sweat became as drops of blood trickling down upon 
the ground. And when Fie rose up from prayer, 
and was come to His disciples, He found them 
sleeping for sorrow. And He said to them : Why 



148 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

sleep you ? arise, pray, lest you enter into temptation. 
As He was yet speaking, behold a multitude : and 
he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went 
before them, and drew near to Jesus for to kiss 
Him. And Jesus said to him : Judas, dost thou 
betray the Son of man with a kiss? And they 
that were about Him, seeing what would follow, 
said to Him : Lord, shall we strike with the sword ? 
And one of them struck the servant of the high 
priest, and cut off his right ear. But Jesus an- 
swering, said : Suffer ye thus far. And when He 
had touched his ear, He healed him. And Jesus 
said to the chief priests and magistrates of the 
temple, and the ancients that were come unto Him : 
Are you come out, as it were against a thief, with 
swords and clubs? When I was daily with you in 
the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands 
against Ale: but this is your hour, and the power 
of darkness. And apprehending Him, they led 
Him to the high priest's house. But Peter fol- 
lowed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire 
in the midst of the hall, and were sitting about it, 
Peter was in the midst of them. Whom when a 
certain servant maid had seen him sitting at the 
light, and had earnestly beheld him, she said : This 
man also was with Him. But he denied Him, 
saying: Woman, I know Him not. And after a 
little while another seeing him, said: Thou also 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 149 

art one of them. But Peter said : O man, I am 
not. And after the space as it were of one hour, 
another certain man affirmed, saying: Of a truth 
this man was also with Him: for he is also a 
Galilean. And Peter said: Man, I know not what 
thou sayest. And immediately as he was yet speak- 
ing, the cock crew. And the Lord turning looked 
on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the 
Lord, as He had said: Before the cock crow, thou 
shalt deny Me thrice. And Peter going out wept 
bitterly. And the men that held Him, mocked 
Him, and struck Him. And they blindfolded Him, 
and smote His face. And they asked Him, saying : 
Prophesy, who is it that struck Thee? And blas- 
pheming, many other things they said against Him. 
And as soon as it was day, the ancients of the peo- 
ple, and the chief priests, and scribes came to- 
gether, and they brought Him into their council, 
saying: If Thou be the Christ, tell us. And He 
said to them: If I shall tell you, you will not be- 
lieve Me. And if I shall also ask you, you will not 
answer Me, nor let Me go. But hereafter the Son 
of man shall be sitting on the right hand of the 
power of God. Then said they all: Art Thou then 
the Son of God? Who said: You say that I am. 
And they said: What need we any further testi- 
mony? For we ourselves have heard it from His 
own mouth. And the whole multitude of them 



150 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

rising up, led Him to Pilate. And they began to 
accuse Him, saying: We have found this man per- 
verting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute 
to Caesar, and saying that He is Christ the King. 
And Pilate asked Him, saying: Art Thou the King 
of the Jews? But He answering said: Thou sayest 
it. And Pilate said to the chief priests and to the 
multitudes : I find no cause in this man. But they 
were more earnest, saying: He stirreth up the peo- 
ple, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from 
Galilee to this place. But Pilate hearing Galilee, 
asked if the man were of Galilee. And when he 
understood that He was of Herod's jurisdiction 
he sent Him away to Herod, who was also himself 
at Jerusalem in those days. And Herod seeing 
Jesus was very glad, for he was desirous for a 
long time to see Him, because he had heard many 
things of Him: and he hoped to see some sign 
wrought by Him. And he questioned Him in 
many words. But He answered him nothing. 
And the chief priests and the scribes stood by, 
earnestly accusing Him. And Herod with his 
army set Him at naught : and mocked Him, putting 
on Him a white garment, and sent Him back to 
Pilate. And Herod and Pilate were made friends 
that same day: for before they were enemies one 
to another. And Pilate calling together the chief 
priests, and the magistrates, and the people, said 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 151 

to them: You have presented unto me this man, 
as one that perverteth the people, and behold I, 
having examined Him before you, find no cause 
in this man in those things wherein you accuse 
Him. No, for Herod neither. For I sent you to 
him, and behold, nothing worthy of death is done 
to Him. I will chastise Him therefore, and re- 
lease Him. Now of necessity he was to release 
unto them one upon the feast-day. But the whole 
multitude together cried out, saying: Away with 
this man, and release unto us Barabbas, who for a 
certain sedition made in the city, and for a murder, 
was cast into prison. And Pilate again spoke to 
them, desiring to release Jesus. But they cried 
again, saying: Crucify Him, crucify Him. And he 
said to them the third time : Why, what evil hath 
this man done ? I find no cause of death in Him : 
I will chastise Him therefore, and let Him go. 
But they were instant with loud voices requiring that 
He might be crucified: and their voices prevailed. 
And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they 
required. And he released unto them him who for 
murder and sedition had been cast into prison, 
whom they had desired : but Jesus he delivered up 
to their will. And as they led Him away, they 
laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from 
the country : and they laid the cross on him to carry 
after Jesus. And there followed Him a great mul- 



152 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

titude of people, and of women who bewailed and 
lamented Him. But Jesus turning to them, said: 
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over Me, but 
weep for yourselves and for your children. For 
behold the day shall come wherein they will say: 
Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have 
not borne, and the paps that have not given suck. 
Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, 
Fall upon us: and to the hills, Cover us. For if 
in the green wood they do these things, what shall 
be done in the dry? And there were also two 
other malefactors led with Him to be put to death. 
And when they were come to the place which is 
called Calvary, they crucified Him there : and the 
robbers, one on the right, and the other on the left. 
And Jesus said : Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do. But they dividing His 
garments, cast lots. And the people stood behold- 
ing, and the rulers with them derided Him, saying : 
He saved others, let Him save Himself, if He be 
Christ, the elect of God. And the soldiers also 
mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him 
vinegar, and saying: If Thou be the King of the 
Jews, save Thyself. And there was also a super- 
scription written over Him in letters of Greek, and 
Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF 
THE JEWS. And one of these robbers who were 
hanged, blasphemed Him, saying: If Thou be 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 153 

Christ, save Thyself and us. But the other an- 
swering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou 
fear God, seeing thou art under the same condem- 
nation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the 
due reward of our deeds : but this man hath done 
no evil. And he said to Jesus : Lord, remember me 
when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom. And 
Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, this day 
thou shalt be with Me in paradise. And it was 
almost the sixth hour: and there was darkness over 
all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun 
was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent 
in the midst. And Jesus crying with a loud voice, 
said : Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. 
And saying this He gave up the ghost. (All 
kneel.) Now the centurion seeing what was done, 
glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just man. 
And all the multitude of them that were come to- 
gether to that sight, and saw the things that were 
done, returned striking their breasts. And all His 
acquaintance, and the women that had followed 
Him from Galilee, stood afar off beholding these 
things. And behold there was a man named Joseph, 
who was a counsellor, a good and a just man (the 
same had not consented to their counsel and do- 
ings), of Arimathea, a city of Judea, who also him- 
self looked for the kingdom of God. This man 
went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And 



154 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

taking Him down, he wrapped Him in fine linen, 
and laid Him in a sepulchre that was hewed in stone, 
wherein never yet any man had been laid. 



46. THE PASSION ON GOOD FRIDAY 

Gospel. St. John xviii and xix. 

At that time Jesus went forth with His disciples 
over the brook Cedron, where there was a garden 
into which He entered with His disciples. And 
Judas also, who betrayed Him, knew the place : be- 
cause Jesus had often resorted thither together with 
His disciples. Judas therefore having received a 
band of soldiers and servants from the chief priests 
and the Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and 
torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing 
all things that should come upon Him, went forth 
and said to them : Whom seek ye ? They answered 
Him : Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them : I 
am He. And Judas also who betrayed Him, stood 
with Him. As soon therefore as He had said to 
them : I am He : they went backward, and fell to 
the ground. Again therefore He asked them: 
Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 
Jesus answered : I have told you, that I am He. 
If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way. 
That the word might be fulfilled which He said: 
Of them whom Thou hast given Me I have not 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 155 

lost any one. Then Simon Peter having a sword, 
drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest, 
and cut off his right ear. And the name of the 
servant was Malchus. Jesus therefore said to 
Peter: Put up thy sword into the scabbard. The 
chalice which My Father hath given Me, shall I 
not drink it? Then the band, and the tribune, and 
the servants of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him ; 
and they led Him away to Annas first, for he was 
father-in-law to Caiphas, who was the high priest 
of that year. Now Caiphas was he who had given 
the counsel to the Jews ; That it was expedient that 
one man should die for the people. And Simon 
Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. 
And that disciple was known to the high priest, 
and went in with Jesus into the court of the high 
priest. But Peter stood at the door without. The 
other disciple therefore who was known to the high 
priest, went out, and spoke to the portress, and 
brought in Peter. The maid therefore that was 
portress, saith to Peter : Art not thou also one of 
this man's disciples? He saith: I am not. Now 
the servants and ministers stood at a fire of coals, 
because it was cold, and warmed themselves. And 
with them was Peter also standing, and warming 
himself. The high priest therefore asked Jesus of 
His disciples, and of His doctrine. Jesus answered 
him : I have spoken openly to the world : I have 



156 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, 
whither all the Jews resort : and in secret, I have 
spoken nothing. Why askest Thou Me? ask them 
who have heard what I have spoken to them: be- 
hold they know what things I have said. And 
when He had said these things, one of the servants 
standing by, gave Jesus a blow, saying: Answerest 
Thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him: If 
I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil : but 
if well, why strikest thou Me? And Annas sent 
Him bound to Caiphas the high priest. And Simon 
Peter was standing and warming himself. They 
said therefore to him: Art not thou also one of 
His disciples ? He denied it, and said : I am not. 
One of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman 
of him whose ear Peter cut off, saith to him: Did 
not I see thee in the garden with Him? Again 
therefore Peter denied, and immediately the cock 
crew. Then they led Jesus from Caiphas to the 
governor's hall. And it was morning: and they 
went not into the hall, that they might not be de- 
filed, but that they might eat the pasch. Pilate 
therefore went out to them, and said: What ac- 
cusation bring you against this man? They an- 
swered and said to him: If He were not a male- 
factor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee. 
Pilate therefore said to them: Take Him you, and 
judge Him according to your law. The Jews 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 157 

therefore said to him: It is not lawful for us to put 
any man to death. That the word of Jesus might 
be fulfilled which He said signifying what death 
He should die. Pilate therefore went into the hall 
again, and called Jesus, and said to Him : Art Thou 
the king of the Jews? Jesus answered: Sayest 
thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee 
of Me ? Pilate answered : Am I a Jew ? Thy own 
nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee 
up to me. What hast Thou done? Jesus an- 
swered: My kingdom is not of this world. If My 
kingdom were of this world, My servants would 
certainly strive that I should not be delivered to 
the Jews : but now My kingdom is not from hence. 
Pilate therefore said to him: Art Thou a king 
then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a 
king. For this was I born, and for this came I 
into the world, that I should give testimony to the 
truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth My 
voice. Pilate said to Him: What is truth? And 
when he had said this, he went out again to the 
Jews, and saith to them : I find no cause in Him. 
But you have a custom that I should release one 
unto you at the pasch: will you therefore that I 
release unto you the king of the Jews? Then cried 
they all again, saying: Not this man, but Barabbas. 
Now Barabbas was a robber. 

Then, therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged 



158 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Him. And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, 
put it upon His head : and they put on Him a pur- 
ple garment, and they came to Him, and said : Hail, 
king of the Jews! And they gave Him blows. 
Pilate, therefore, went forth again, and saith to 
them: Behold I bring Him forth unto you, that 
you may know that I find no cause in Him. Jesus 
therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns 
and the purple garment. And he saith to them : 
Behold the man. When the chief priests, therefore, 
and the servants had seen Him, they cried out, 
saying: Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith 
to them: Take Him you, and crucify Him; for I 
find no cause in Him. The Jews answered him: 
We have a law ; and according to the law He ought 
to die, because He made Himself the Son of God. 
When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he 
feared the more. And he entered into the hall 
again, and he said to Jesus: Whence art Thou? 
But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore 
said to Him: Speakest Thou not to me? knowest 
Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and 
I have power to release Thee ? Jesus answered : 
Thou shouldst not have any power against Me, 
unless it were given thee from above. Therefore 
he that hath delivered Me to thee, hath the greater 
sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to re- 
lease Him. But the Jews cried out, saying: If 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 159 

thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend. 
For whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh 
against Caesar. Now when Pilate had heard these 
words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the 
judgment-seat, in the place that is called Litho- 
strotos, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was 
the Parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour, 
and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king. But 
they cried out: Away with Him, away with Him, 
crucify Him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify 
your king? The chief priests answered: We have 
no king but Csesar. Then, therefore, he delivered 
Him to them for to be crucified. And they took 
Jesus, and led Him forth. And bearing His own 
cross, He went forth to that place which is called 
Calvary, but in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they 
crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on 
each side, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate 
wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. 
And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the king 
of the Jews. This title, therefore, many of the 
Jews did read, because the place where Jesus was 
crucified was nigh to the city : and it was written in 
Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. Then the chief 
priests of the Jews said to Pilate : Write not, The 
King of the Jews; but that He said, I am the king 
of the Jews. Pilate answered : What I have writ- 
ten, I have written. The soldiers therefore, when 



160 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

they had crucified Him, took His garments (and 
they made four parts, to every soldier a part), and 
also His coat. Now the coat was without seam, 
woven from the top throughout. They said then 
one to another : Let us not cut it, but let us cast 
lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture 
might be fulfilled saying: They have parted My 
garments among them, and upon My vesture they 
have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed did these 
things. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, 
His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary of 
Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus there- 
fore had seen His mother, and the disciple stand- 
ing, whom He loved, He saith to His mother: 
Woman! behold thy son. After that, He saith to 
the disciple : Behold thy mother. And from that 
hour the disciple took her to his own. Afterwards 
Jesus knowing that all things were now accom- 
plished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled said : 
I thirst. Now there was a vessel set there full of 
vinegar. And they putting a sponge full of vine- 
gar, about hyssop, put it to His mouth. Jesus 
therefore, when He had taken the vinegar, said : It 
is consummated. And bowing His head, He gave up 
the ghost. (Here all kneel, and pause a little, to 
meditate on the redemption of mankind.) Then 
the Jews (because it was the Parasceve), that the 
bodies might not remain upon the cross on 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 161 

the Sabbath-day (for that was a great Sab- 
bath-day), besought Pilate that their legs might 
be broken, and that they might be taken away. The 
soldiers, therefore, came: and they broke the legs of 
the first, and of the other that was crucified with 
Him. But after they were come to Jesus, when 
they saw that He was already dead, they did not 
break His legs. But one of the soldiers with a 
spear opened His side, and immediately there came 
out blood and water. And he that saw it hath 
given testimony, and his testimony is true. And 
he knoweth that he saith true, that you also may 
believe. For these things were done that the 
Scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break 
a bone of Him. And again another Scripture saith : 
They shall look on Him Whom they pierce. And 
after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because 
he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of 
the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take the 
body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came 
therefore and took away the body of Jesus. And 
Nicodemus also came, he who at the first came to 
Jesus by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and 
aloes, about an hundred pound weight. They took 
therefore the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen 
clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is 
to bury. Now there was in the place where He 
was crucified a garden : and in the garden a new 



1 62 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

sepulchre, wherein no man yet had been laid. 
There, therefore, because of the Parasceve of the 
Jews, they laid Jesus; because the sepulchre was 
nigh at hand. 

47- THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS 
AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 

For Meditation. Preparation. 

O Lord, Jesus Christ, on the first Holy Thurs- 
day, at the last supper, Thou didst institute the holy 
Sacrifice of the Mass as a perpetual and unbloody 
memorial of Thy bloody Sacrifice on the cross. 
Give us the grace to attend, with true devotion, the 
holy Sacrifice of adoration, thanksgiving, petition 
and propitiation ; and grant that, by devout medita- 
tion on Thy bitter passion and death, we may par- 
take of its fruits, for time and eternity. Amen. 



The priest goes to the altar; Jesus approaches 
Mount Olivet to expiate our sins. 

2. 
The priest begins to pray at the foot of the altar; 
Jesus sweating blood prays three times on Mount 
Olivet. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 163 

3- 
The priest goes up to the altar and kisses it; 
Jesus receives the kiss of betrayal from the unfaith- 
ful Judas. 

4- 

At the epistle side of the altar, the priest says 
the Introit or entrance; Jesus is seized, bound and 
dragged to Jerusalem, and He receives a blow in 
presence of Annas. 

5- 

The priest goes to the middle of the altar and 
recites the Kyrie and Gloria: Jesus is led before 
Caiphas and is denied by Peter. 

6. 
The priest, turning to the people, says : " Dominus 
vobiscum " — " The Lord be with you " ; Jesus looks 
with love and sorrow at Peter and converts him. 

7- 
The priest returns to the epistle corner of the 
altar to read the prayers of the Church (or collects) 
and the epistle; Jesus is brought to Pilate, and He 
must listen to the false accusations made against 
Him. 



164 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

8. 

After returning to the middle of the altar, the 
priest goes to the gospel side; Jesus is led before 
Herod and scoffed at. 

9- 

The priest goes from the gospel side to the middle 
of the altar and says the " Credo " and " Dominus 
Vobiscum " ; Jesus is brought back to Pilate and 
the murderer, Barabbas, is preferred to Him. 

10. 

The chalice is uncovered ; Jesus is stripped of His 
garments. 

ii. 

The offertory of holy Mass. 

The priest offers up the bread and wine; Jesus 
offers Himself to His heavenly Father during His 
painful scourging. 

Pray in union with all the faithful : 

O heavenly Father, look with complacency upon 
the gifts which the priest offers in the name of 
Jesus and at His command ; which we too offer in 
union with the priest to honor Thee as our Creator 
and supreme Master and to thank Thee with filial 
reverence. We offer Thee at the same time our 
body and our soul and all that we have. O most 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 165 

patient and afflicted Jesus, take our heart, unite it 
with Thy Sacred Heart and present it to Thy heav- 
enly Father for us as an offering in honor of Thy 
painful scourging. Amen. 



The priest covers the chalice: Jesus is crowned 
with thorns. 

13- 
At the " Lavabo," the priest washes his hands ; 
reflect on the cowardly Pilate washing his hands. 

14. 

At the middle of the altar, the priest turning to 
the people, says : " Orate Frates " ; Pilate shows 
Jesus to the people and says : " Ecce Homo." But 
they exclaim: "Away with Him! Crucify Him!" 

15- 
The priest recites the Preface; Pilate pro- 
nounces the death-sentence upon Jesus. 

16. 

The priest says the Sanctus, the " thrice holy," 
and he makes the sign of the cross; Jesus takes the 
heavy cross upon His shoulders. 



1 66 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

17- 

The priest begins the Canon; Jesus staggers 
towards Calvary under the weight of the cross. 

1 8. 
The priest folds his hands at the Memento of 
the Living; Jesus consoles the daughters of Jeru- 
salem and Simon of Cyrene helps Him to carry 
the cross. 

19. 
The priest holds his hands over the chalice: the 
Saviour is laid on the cross. 

20. 

The priest makes the sign of the cross five times 
over the chalice and the host ; the Saviour is nailed, 
hands and feet, to the cross. 

21. 

The consecration. 

The priest changes the bread and wine into the 
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ ; Jesus dies on the 
cross and offers His death as a bloody sacrifice. 

Adore Him and say: 

O Jesus, for Thee I live ; O Jesus, for Thee I die ; 
O Jesus, Thine I am in life and death. Amen. 

Spare me, O Jesus; have mercy on me, O Jesus; 
O Jesus, pardon all my sins. Amen. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 167 

Contemplate the three hours suffering of Jesus, 
the pains of His body, the torments of His soul, 
His mockery, His dereliction. Listen to His seven 
holy words, kiss His five holy wounds, present to 
Him all your petitions and those of the holy Church, 
make an act of contrition, with a firm purpose of 
amendment. 

22. 

At the " Nobis quoque peccatoribus," think of 
the pardon granted to the thief on the right, and 
at the " Pater Noster " recite devoutly the Our 
Father. 

23- 
The priest breaks the sacred host and drops a 
particle into the chalice; the soul of Jesus descends 
into limbo (hell). 

24. 
At the " Agnus Dei " the priest strikes his breast 
three times; at the death of Jesus the centurion 
confesses the divinity of Jesus, and he, with many 
of the bystanders strikes his breast. 

25- 

The third principal part of holy Mass. 

The priest consumes in holy communion, the 
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; His sacred body 
is laid in the grave. 



1 68 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

If you do not actually communicate, make an act 
of Spiritual Communion, saying: 

" O Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst 
enter under my roof, but say only the word and my 
soul shall be healed." (3 times.) 

O divine Saviour, do not disdain to look down 
upon us unworthy creatures with a glance of Thy 
divine goodness. Through Thy infinite mercy 
prepare our hearts to receive Thee at least in a 
spiritual manner. Graciously accept our desire, 
and grant that we may soon be worthy to receive 
Thee in reality. Increase our faith, strengthen our 
hope, inflame our love, fill our hearts with Thy 
grace, and help us to persevere unto the end. 

Soul of Christ, sanctify me ! 

Body of Christ, save me ! 

Blood of Christ, refresh me! 

Water flowing from the side of Christ, purify me ! 

Passion of Christ, strengthen me! 

O good Jesus, hear me ! 

In Thy holy wounds, conceal me! 

Suffer me not to leave Thee ! 

From the evil one, defend me ! 

In my last hour, call me ! 

And bid me, Lord, to come to Thee ! 

With Saints and Angels may I praise Thee, 

Through endless ages of eternity. Amen. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 169 

26. 
At the last " Dominus Vobiscum," reflect on the 
glorious resurrection of Jesus. 

27- 
At the " Ite Messa est," reflect on the glorious 
ascension of Jesus. 

28. 

At the last Blessing and the last Gospel, call to 
mind the sending of the Holy Ghost. Ask Him 
for His blessing and graces for yourself and upon 
those that are near and dear to you. Conclude 
your meditation on the passion and sacrificial death 
of your Saviour with this prayer of the Church : 

O God, we beseech Thee, look graciously down 
upon this Thy congregation for whom our Lord 
Jesus Christ was willing to surrender Himself into 
the hands of sinners, and to suffer the torments of 
the cross; He Who in union with Thee and the 
Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth world without end. 
Amen. 

48. A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH 

Almighty and Eternal God, look down upon us 
with an eye of pity, and behold our misery, our 
distress and our woe. Have mercy on all Thy 
people, for whom Thine only Begotten Son, our 



i 7 o THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Lord Jesus Christ, freely delivered Himself into 
the hands of sinners, that He might shed His most 
precious Blood on the tree of the Holy Cross for 
us. O most merciful Father, through the same 
our Lord Jesus Christ, remove from us all the evils, 
which we have so richly deserved, present and 
future dangers, pernicious insurrections, famines, 
plagues, wars, and Thy many other judgments. 
Grant us, God of peace, true union in the faith, 
without dissension or schism. Direct our hearts 
to true penance and amendment. Enkindle in us 
the fire of divine love, and fill us with an ardent 
desire and zeal for justice, that as obedient chil- 
dren we may please Thee in life and in death. We 
also pray, as Thou, O God, wishest us to pray, for 
our friends and enemies, for those in health and 
for the sick, for all afflicted and distressed Chris- 
tians, for the living and for the dead. 

Now and forever we recommend to Thee, O 
Lord, all our actions and omissions, our whole con- 
versation, our life, and our death. Let us, O God, 
receive Thy grace here below, and enjoy it hereafter, 
that in union with the elect, we may praise, honor 
and glorify Thee in eternal bliss. Grant this, O 
heavenly Father through Jesus Christ Thy Son, 
Who, with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and 
reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 171 

49. A PUBLIC CONFESSION 

I, a poor sinner, renounce Satan with all his works 
and all his pomps. I believe in God the Father, 
in God the Son and in God the Holy Ghost. I 
believe, without reserve, all that Holy Church pro- 
poses for my belief. With this holy and Catholic 
faith, I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary 
ever Virgin and to all the Saints that, from the 
day of my childhood unto the present hour, I have 
sinned much and often in thought, word and deed 
and by the omission of good works; and I accuse 
myself concerning whatever way I have sinned, 
whether secretly or openly, knowingly or unknow- 
ingly, against the ten commandments in regard to 
the seven capital sins, by the five senses of my body, 
against God, against my neighbor and against the 
salvation of my poor soul. For these and all my 
sins I am heartily sorry. Therefore I humbly beg 
of Thee, almighty and eternal God, to grant me 
Thy divine grace, and to spare my life so that I 
may confess my sins and do penance for them, and 
thus merit Thy heavenly favor and, after this 
wretched life, obtain the everlasting joy of heaven. 
Wherefore I strike my sinful breast and say with the 
public sinner : O Lord, God ! have mercy on me a 
poor sinner ! Amen. 



172 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

50. LITANY OF THE PASSION 

Lord, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy. 
Christ, have mercy. 
Christ, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy. 
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. 
God the Father of Heaven, 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, 
God the Holy Ghost, 
Holy Trinity, one God, 
Jesus, the Eternal Wisdom, 
Jesus, conversing with men, 
Jesus, hated by the world, 
Jesus, sold for thirty pieces of silver, 
Jesus, prostrate on the ground in prayer, 
Jesus, strengthened by an angel, 
Jesus, in Thine agony bathed in a bloody 
sweat, 
Jesus, betrayed by Judas with a kiss, 
Jesus, bound by the soldiers, 
Jesus, forsaken by Thy disciples, 
Jesus, brought before Annas and Caiphas, 
Jesus, struck by a servant in the face, 
Jesus, accused by false witnesses, 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 173 

Jesus, declared worthy of death, 

Jesus, spit upon in the face, 

Jesus, blindfolded, 

Jesus, smitten on the cheek, 

Jesus, thrice denied by Peter, 

Jesus, delivered up to Pilate, 

Jesus, despised and mocked by Herod, 

Jesus, clothed in a white garment, 

Jesus, rejected for Barabbas, 

Jesus, torn with scourges, 

Jesus, bruised for our sins, 

Jesus, esteemed as a leper, 

Jesus, covered with a purple robe, 

Jesus, crowned with thorns, 

Jesus, struck with a reed upon the head, 

Jesus, demanded for the crucifixion by the 
Jews, 

Jesus, condemned to an ignominious death, 

Jesus, given up to the will of Thine enemies, 

Jesus, burdened with the heavy weight of 
the Cross, 

Jesus, led like a sheep to slaughter, 

Jesus, stripped of Thy garments, 

Jesus, fastened with nails to the Cross, 

Jesus, wounded for our iniquities, 

Jesus, praying to Thy Father for Thy mur- 
derers, 



174 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

Jesus, reputed with the wicked, 

Jesus, blasphemed and scoffed at on the 
cross, 

Jesus, reviled by the malefactor, 

Jesus, promising paradise to the penitent 
thief, 

Jesus, commending St. John to Thy Mother 
as her Son, 

Jesus, declaring Thyself forsaken by Thy 
Father, 

Jesus, in Thy thirst, given gall and vinegar 
to drink, 

Jesus, testifying that all things written con- 
cerning Thee were accomplished, 

Jesus, commending Thy spirit into the hands 
of Thy Father, 

Jesus, obedient even to the death of the 
Cross, 

Jesus, pierced with a lance, 

Jesus, made a propitiation for us, 

Jesus, taken down from the Cross, 

Jesus, laid in the Sepulchre, 

Jesus, rising gloriously from the dead, 

Jesus, ascending into heaven, 

Jesus, our advocate with the Father, 

Jesus, sending down on Thy disciples, the 
Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 175 



Jesus, exalting Thy Mother above the choirs 
of Angels, 

Jesus, who shall come to judge the living 
and the dead, 

Be merciful, Spare us, O Lord, 

Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Lord. 

From all evil, 
From all sin, 

From anger, hatred, and all ill-will, 
From war, famine, and pestilence, 
From all dangers of mind and body, 
From everlasting death, 
By Thy most pure conception, 
By Thy miraculous nativity, 
By Thy humble circumcision, 
By Thy baptism and holy fasting, 
By Thy labors and watchings, 
By Thy cruel scourging and crowning, 
By Thy thirst, tears and nakedness, 
By Thy precious death and Cross, 
By Thy glorious resurrection and ascension, 
By Thy sending forth the Holy Ghost, the 
Paraclete, 

In the day of Judgment, we beseech Thee, 
hear us. 



c 3 

en n> 
' 3 



176 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

That Thou wouldst spare us, 

That Thou wouldst pardon us, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring us 
to true penance, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe mercifully to 
pour into our hearts the grace of the Holy 
Ghost, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to defend and 
propagate Thy holy Church, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve 
and increase all societies assembled in Thy 
Holy Name, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bestow 
upon us true peace, humility and charity, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give us 
perseverance in grace and in Thy holy service, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to deliver us 
from unclean thoughts, the temptations of the 
devil and everlasting damnation, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to unite us to 
the company of Thy saints, 

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe graciously to 
hear us, 



Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, Spare us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. 



AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST 177 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, Have mercy on us. 

Christ, hear us. 

Christ, graciously hear us. 

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, have mercy. 

Lord, have mercy. 

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless 
Thee. 

R. Because through Thy holy Cross, Thou hast 
redeemed the world. 

LET US PRAY. 

O God, who for the redemption of the world 
didst vouchsafe to be born, circumcised, rejected 
by the Jews; betrayed by the traitor Judas with a 
kiss; bound in fetters; led like an innocent lamb 
to slaughter, and ignominiously exposed to the sight 
of Annas, Caiphas, Pilate and Herod; accused by 
false witnesses, buffeted, spit upon, scourged with 
stripes; crowned with thorns; struck with a reed, 
blindfolded, harassed with insults, stripped of Thy 
garments, nailed to the Cross, raised upon the Cross, 
counted among robbers, given vinegar and gall to 
drink, and wounded with a lance: Do Thou, O 
Lord, by these most holy pains of Thine, which I, 
unworthy, recall, and by Thy holy Cross and Death, 
free me from the pains of hell, and deign to lead me 



i 7 8 THE GOSPELS FOR LENT 

whither Thou didst lead the thief crucified with 
Thee, who, with the Father and Holy Ghost, livest 
and reignest God forever and ever. Amen. 



THE END 



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